


Gama & her Gaki's

by Theodora_Steele



Category: Naruto
Genre: Author saves all of the precious beans, Big Brother Jiraiya, Big Dumb Jiraiya, Death to Shimura Danzo, Fashionista Orochimaru, Good Bean Orochimaru, Isekai, Multi, OP Self-Insert, Pack Dynamics, Pre-Canon, Protective Orochimaru (Naruto), Second Shinobi War, Self-Indulgent, Self-Insert, Slow To Update, Smol Bean Kakashi, Unreliable Narrator, Who let Jiraiya Practice Fuinjutsu?, canon whomst?, except Danzo, fuck danzo, sibling dynamics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:14:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 56,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28265232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theodora_Steele/pseuds/Theodora_Steele
Summary: I just really wanted a snazzy new tattoo. Ink therapy was the best therapy, but moon gods like to gamble, and now there is some weird white haired dude in her hospital. Who lets Jiraiya test time space seals in the middle of war? Himself apparently, its how he found himself in another world.How does he get himself home? Can he? This just in Fuinjutsu is wild.orThe Author has no idea what they're doing but believes Hatake Sakumo deserved better, Uchiha Kagami needed to keep his peepers, and Sarutobi Hiruzen needed some sort of wake up call. Stay tuned for more at 11?
Relationships: Hatake Sakumo/Original Female Character(s), Jiraiya/Orochimaru (Naruto), Katou Dan/Tsunade
Comments: 102
Kudos: 275
Collections: A Collection of Beloved Inserts, oc self insertSI





	1. Hireath

**Author's Note:**

> So here is a thing, I'm largely unreliable and have so many WIPs I just feel the need to air them. 
> 
> *Pushes Fic forward* 
> 
> So try this thing my think meat conjured up, I own absolutely none of this, that's on Kishi.

A soft humming filled the air, accompanied with the sharp rhythmic stabbing penetrating a wrist. Half lidded gaze staring fondly at the ink being etched into skin. Black ink stained into peach colored flesh; forever ingrained as a reminder for what one couldn't have.

Anyone who has ever had a tattoo understands far too much the ‘itch;’ the desire to dedicate something memorable happening in their life into their body.

Perhaps in hopes to never forget something detrimental to what happened in your life that made you who you are. 

For some it was more of a coming to terms with exactly who you are.

For me, it’s what I couldn’t have. 

_Hiraeth_

My imagination was something that ran rampant, the limitless possibilities of what could have been in this life left feeling incredibly unfilled and consistently underwhelmed and much to be desired.

The ‘what ifs’ would be something that my mind forever circulates. Perhaps some thought of my personality would utter the word obsessed, insane, and maybe desperate. 

However, that was never my intention, too lost in my own head on the what ifs my life could have been. The heavy hole around my heart always lingered telling me that it would never be enough, that I needed more. 

What if I had been born into a world where anything was possible?

Where one could shatter mountains with a pinky, where deep swirling blood colored eyes could distort reality with a single glance, where one could run so fast that eyes failed to pick up and register movements. 

“Alright, how does it look?” 

Blinking back into reality, taking in the slender curve of my puffy and bloodied wrist to the dark haired companion with the tattoo gun in their hand.

“It’s exactly what I needed” the corners of my lips quirked upright into a smile “Thank you.” 

_Hiraeth_

Was now etched onto my wrist, a stark difference to the peachy skin tone wrist in delicate cursive font.

For too long I had emotions bottled in my chest yearning for a label to accurately describe themselves.

Mostly, homesickness and nostalgia for a place I had never been, an earnest longing or desire to go there.

_Anywhere but here._

For too long feeling so desensitized to the everyday world, enduring it because it never felt like one ever belonged, no close friends or associates. 

Sure, my family was loving; they most certainly did what they could, despite all of this, life felt like it was passing by at a frightening speed and I was stuck going through the motions instead of living life in the moment. 

_Always on the outside looking in._

To be so close to people, yet feel so very far away. So far away that interactions with people felt benign and forced, it was hard to comprehend meaningful connections. 

It was a frightening existence, those bonds that failed to be forged with others could be found within the solace of anime. 

A gentle pulsating of pain in my wrist broke me from my dark spiraling mental reprieve, there was a time where the pain was for the time being it was what got me through that very day, the pain flaring through my body gave me the patience to be able to face the day.

The tattoo artist bobbed their head in understanding, they knew me too well. This wasn't the first time they had assisted me with the ink covering my body. It was too much a ritualistic endeavor at this point, no doubt that we would see each other again soon for another visit. 

Ink therapy was the best.

"I don't think we need to have the talk about how to take care of it." The artist gingerly rinsed the ink from my wrist, patting it dry and slathered a healing ointment across the red irritated skin. 

Humming thoughtfully, and tilting my head with shell pink lips pursed contemplatively. My lips parted to give them a sassy retort only to shut it quickly when his chestnut orbs bore into my skull. 

"It's too early in the night for your shit, I'm far too sober for it." My shoulders slumped inwards in a pout, my lower lip jutted out only further emphasizing my feeling. Fighting the urge to be even more childish and stick my pierced tongue out at them. 

This artist was far too use to my bullshit and unbothered by my drastic shifts in demeanor, gloved fingers quickly wrapped my wound and shooed me from their room. 

"You are far too grumpy tonight." I grumbled to them under my breath, my uninjured hand fished through my purse to find my wallet. Procuring numerous bills, and setting them aside for him. 

Their eyes lit up when they saw the amount. "Oops, Did I say that out loud? You are an absolute delight!" They reiterated quickly, rolling my eyes at his brash personality, waving off his attempt to back track, bid goodbye and made my escape. 

Making my way toward my car the chilly evening air ruffled the end of my golden chocolate hair. A shiver crawled down my spine causing my hair to stand on end, the soft pulse of pain emanating from my wrist kept me grounded. 

The sounds of my footfalls slowed before stopping all together below a swollen moon, whose bright visage seemed to make my mind fall silent. 

Something didn't feel right, and it was hard to take my attention away from the celestial being, tearing my eyes to quickly survey the darkened parking lot for anything out of place. 

My sage green eyes were drawn back toward the heavy moon, it was rare to see the moon so close, and so full to be able to see glimmers of a halo around its form. 

The longer my eyes studied the celestial body the sensation on the back of my neck bloomed leaving me with a sense of something foreign washing through my veins, settling heavy in my stomach. 

Excitement? Anticipation? Foreign enough that it took me longer than comfortable to be able to distinguish what exactly the feeling was.

The shrill of an alarm sounded making me jump at its tune, fishing my phone from my pocket to glare at the notification.

"Oh shit, I'm gonna be late for work!" 

* * *

Tearing through the hospital in attempts to make it to the wing of the hospital delegated for comatose patients like the devil himself were on my heels. 

"I'm sorry! There was this really pretty light in the sky and I just-" The glare my fellow coworker leveled me with as I rounded the corner of the nurses station spoke volumes. "-Lost track of time!" I finished saying quickly, my voice I was fairly certains slowly raised in pitch with my exclamation.

"Again? I'm not even sure why I'm surprised." The lead nurse face palmed as my admission. "Everytime there is a full moon you end up late." 

Slipping behind the desk to stow my belongings, and turning my attention to the other nurses who snickered at the lead nurses comment. 

"You know I can't help it." visibly wilting in place. "I just felt this pull lately it's been so strong-!" bouncing back and forth on the balls of my feet in my excitement. 

"Yeah, yeah, we get it. You and your weird energy shit." The nurse I came to relieve snarked out. "I'd like to give my report and go home, _please_." The word please was enunciated out far longer than one would seem necessary, and sounded so very pitiful.

It wasn't just 'weird energy shit' this would be protested to my last dying breath, since childhood the energy could faintly be felt; The plants thrummed with it, the very air that we breathed was saturated with it. Every single thing around me vibrated with energy that made me feel high or euphoric on a daily basis. 

The world around me felt alive.

Perhaps this is what set me apart from others having the ability to be so empathetic and feeling the energy in the world around me. My understanding was that everyone else felt what I felt on a daily basis. That of course had changed once I talked to other people to ask if they felt something similar and the answer was always the same.

It was always a resounding _No._

Heaving a massive sigh in defeat, plopping unceremoniously in a chair beside the complaining nurse. 

"Fine… tell me what has changed in our wing of comatose patients." acquiescing to their demands and pulling out a small hand held note book for an oral report. 

"Well they're all still comatose, big shocker there." Settling my coworker with a deadpan expression, the lead nurse re-introduced his forehead to his hand. 

"I thought you wanted to go home!" My coworker grumbled something not very nice under their breath before delving into a full detailed report. 

"We got a new patient?" I hmm'd thoughtfully, it wasn't that common of an occurrence to be receiving new patients. However, working in a wing of a hospital that could very well be considered long term care. Clients tended to stay here well...

Long term. 

Beds stayed occupied more often than not, and to be frank I wasn't even aware that there was a recent vacancy available to be filled. 

"John Doe, brought in five days ago was moved to our floor today; appeared to have been involved in some sort of altercation." The nurse pulled up the virtual file of our unconscious patient, clicking through some blood work and medications recently administered. "His wounds are healing quickly and all his blood work and vitals check out and the white coats aren't sure why he isn't waking up." A soft noise of discontent bloomed from my throat, to show that I was listening to her as my eyes darted across the patients file. 

"Trauma from the altercation perhaps?" My voice was questioning, It wasn't unheard of for patients faced with fairly traumatic experiences to be comatose to mentally recuperate. 

Her response was a half hearted shrug. 

The rest of the report was delivered promptly and outside of the new John Doe nothing had changed. 

Bidding a soft goodnight to the nurse who all but sprinted off the floor and the lead nurse who was stuck bouncing from floor to floor; told me to page him if anything came up and walked off as well leaving me alone with my sleeping patients and the occasional aide that floated by to do rounds. 

The hours seemed to crawl by at an agonizing pace, midnight came and with it, time to pass medications out. Traversing room to room with my medication cart in a sort of ritualistic haze and didn't even realize just how far into doing rounds I had gotten until I was standing in the room of the new patient. 

The man was enormous, no, not fat in any way but a very built man who despite currently laying down it was incredibly obvious he was a very tall man with perhaps the broadest shoulders I had ever seen. 

The John Doe had long unruly white hair thrown haphazardly over his shoulder cascading down his chest, and blood red facial tattoo tear tracks? I blinked owlishly, I supposed I shouldn't be too surprised, tattoos were quite common. 

Just not very often seen on ones face?

There was something about him that made that foreign feeling creep along the back of my neck like it had earlier that night. 

This man, who I had never seen before had seemed so incredibly familiar. 

I couldn't place where I had known this man from, but I was fairly certain I did. 

I fought the instinctual urge to rub the back of my neck, with a quick roll of my shoulders I stepped up the various machines taking a quick overview of their status for any changes. 

Humming softly against the myriad of beeping machines, my fingers had stilled from their positions above the keyboard in an attempt to update John Doe's profile. 

I allowed my eyes to fall unto the sleeping man once more, the shallow rise and fall of his chests were his only movements. 

It was right on the tip of my tongue, where did I know this man from? 

Just observing him in an unconscious state set me on edge, he was like a slumbering dragon and I was terrified to wake him.

Instincts were screaming danger, this man was dangerous and I shouldn't be this close to him.

But, why? 

Curiosity obviously killed the cat because, for some reason I wanted to know. 

I needed to know. 

Abandoning my half hearted attempt at working I slowly approached the sleeping man's side. 

My eyes slid close taking numerous deep breaths in to calm my spiking concern, with a deep exhale my eyes opened once more and the energy in the room around me pulsed.

It thrummed with life, more than I had ever seen in a hospital and more than I had seen around another person before. I could see faint curls or some sort of energy around him greedily taking in what it could. 

If I squinted hard enough I could see my own energy swirling and becoming entwined to his massive aura. 

Perhaps that's what he needed to wake up? With the way his body was pulling in the surrounding ambient energy, maybe he wasn't getting enough on his own? 

Humming contemplatively, I raised my hand slowly placing it over his solar plexus. If he needed energy, to the point of subconsciously drawing it out of the air I could allow myself to be the buffer. 

Raising or lowering your own vibrations to match another's energy could be tricky, often required quite a bit of practice to get it right. Raising my other hand to hold it over his forehead, my eyes slid shut once more and the darkness reigned over my senses. 

Closing my eyes didn't necessarily change being able to sense the vibrations or the energy around me. It made it louder? Easier to feel? The colors blooming behind my eyelids felt blinding none the less, this John Doe's aura was absolutely no joke. 

With a quiet inhale, the low hum of vibration from him was heard like a soft cat's purr to my ears. Grounding myself beside him I drew in energy from the room around me and the floor beneath my feet echoing the same vibration the man excluded. 

Almost immediately the color blooming behind my eyes began to shift and change, and take shape. 

I could feel the muscles in my jaw clench as these images played like a movie, the altercation this man had been involved in was absolutely horrific. I felt so helpless to stop I couldn't pull away, and I was frozen in place to watch how this played out. 

There were three people, including the white haired man. A man with long black hair, and alabaster pale skin and glowing yellow eyes framed with purple markings around them, he was oddly reminiscent of something reptilian.

And again so very familiar… Where did I know him from?

The other person, a woman with long golden hair separated into low twin pigtails trailing down her back, with honey brown eyes.

Alarms and bells were blaring somewhere in the back of my head, the bells were drowned out by how loud the images were.

I never thought I'd ever admit to images being loud, but I digress.

The trio stood together on a battle ravaged ground wearing various forms of dark armour.

Most notable of their features were the fearsome snarls adorning their faces, as they faced a man masked with a respirator atop a huge looking… salamander?

I could hardly comprehend what I was watching, the trio lunged with inhuman speed and power as they _danced_ with the army of men beside the evil man with the respirator. 

Danced probably wasn't a near accurate description, but I wasn't sure what else to call it. At the rate blows were traded and deflected, it couldn't have been anything but a dance. 

A dance of death maybe, but one with such grace and finesse it wasn't anything but terrifying. 

Alarm bells roared into sirens, in my head becoming harder and harder to ignore. I couldn't figure out what was causing them. 

John Doe's aura and energy became something fuller almost to the point of being able to taste it on my tongue, his vibrations rose slowly into something… Keening? Fluctuating? A deep resounding tremble, cut high swiftly to a croak or a chirp? His aura was calling out unconsciously searching for something, what I couldn't tell you. 

Like the croak of a toad, his aura pulsed like a heart beat to the low rumbles of a toad to a high pitched chirp. 

Hesitantly, very hesitantly I decided to echo his aura in what I hoped would be comfort in a familiar gesture.

I can say the instantaneous response I got, wasn't anything remotely close to what I expected.

Then again, tonight was one full of surprises. 

With my eyes still closed I didn't see him move but I felt the two hands quickly grab my slender wrists in an iron vice grip. 

My sage green eyes flashed open in surprise the squeak of terror that leapt from my throat, did not sound very human. 

But more like a startled cat.

The man below me leveled me with a glare similar to the one I saw aimed at the man with the respirator, like I was an enemy. His eyes darted from me to around the room like a cornered animal, searching for a way out. 

Or for a potential threat or enemy? I couldn't tell you which one it was at this point. 

I swallowed the lump of fear that settled low in my throat, and in a low but clear voice ran through a protocol often done when a comatose client first wakes up. 

"It is currently Thursday at 1:25 in the morning, you are at Lakeview General Hospital." I gave a brief pause when his eyes widened, I bit my lip in an attempt not to whimper when his hands seemed to squeeze tighter around my wrist. My wrists protested loudly if the pops they let out were any indication to the pressure surrounding them.

"You have just woken up from spending 5 days in a coma, you are probably a little confused and disoriented but that is completely normal and any mental fog you feel should fade slowly." The man seemed oddly reminiscent of a fish with the gaping he was currently doing. 

" **Who are you?"** His question was clipped and terse. I sucked in a quick breath between my teeth, he wasn't speaking English and I had no idea what he just asked. 

Hesitantly, I repeated my statement to him again. This garnered no spark of recollection when it was repeated a second time. 

**"Where am I? Where are Tsunade-hime and Orochi-teme?"** The white haired man growled out, his gripped stayed strong despite the current shaking of his limbs. 

My mind raced, it wasn't uncommon for patients waking up from a coma to be combative and agitated. The current issue of a language barrier most certainly did not help. This situation needed to be de escalated quickly before one of us got hurt.

Me, me was probably going to hurt if the grip on my wrist we're any indication. 

Oh! My phone, the internet could translate languages!

I pulled hesitantly at my wrist, in question to be released. At this point if we couldn't talk physical gestures and body language were going to be our form of communication.

I twisted my hips in front of him, showing the lone pocket on the back of my scrubs, deftly uncurling my fingers in his grip and pointing to it. 

"Phone" was the soft word escaping my lips. 

His eyebrows raised questioningly as he stilled, his eyes raked over my form as if taking stock of me for the first time and landing on the part of my body attempting to be presented to him. 

"Phone" I repeated in the same tone, pointing again at the pocket on the back of my pants that could very well make out the outline of the device against the curve of my ass.

I loved scrubs so much.

Biting back a sigh chasing away the errant thought. It was my attempt at ignoring the dull pain of my spines protest at being twisted just so. 

Something seemed to click for the man, he re-adjusted his grip. His big broad hand easily encaptured my wrists with one hand, I made no effort to break his hold as he retrieved the phone. 

I couldn't help but blink at the speed in which he had used to do so, how did a man who just woke up from being unconscious for 5 day be so fast? 

Probably not the only concern I should have had in the moment…

The man held the electronic device in his big paws and I couldn't help the giggle that escaped me. He was a sight to behold man, his broad hands were so big that the phone looked like a toy in his hand. 

His eyes darted to me at the sound, vaguely lighting up in amusement before settling into confusion as he appraised the device in his hand.

"Phone" I repeated thrice, nodding my head to the device. 

**"Phone"** The man repeated the word as phonetically as he could and it sounded foreign on his tongue. I didn't even attempt to hold back my wind chime like laughter at his attempt to say the word. 

His grip slackened minutely, his eyes lit up with amusement once more. I did nothing to inhibit his inspection of the device, he observed it from all angles.

Had he never seen a phone before? I understood the language barrier, but it was kind of evident that it wasn't the only barrier here.

A cultural one as well? 

I cupped my hands together in a request to see the device in his hand, my eyes darted from the device to my hands in an in spoken question. He seemed incredibly reluctant, and looked like he very much wanted to do anything but put said unknown device into my hands. 

"Please? I'd like to be able to talk to you, and this phone will help!" I did my best to give a soft re-affirming smile. His grip seemed to tighten in warning around my wrists, I winced at the sensation, a whimper tore through my throat. 

Despite not being able to understand him, his physical presence said loud and clear 'no funny business' I nodded in understanding to his unspoken command. 

He seemed satisfied, with his demonstration, releasing one of my wrists- my bandaged tattooed one from his grip and the feeling of pins and needles immediately raced down my arm and into my wrist and hand.

I tried not to pay attention to the blossoming black and blue color around the white bandages wrist, holding it out hesitantly for him to place the phone into. His expression seemed to falter as he eyed the purpling marks around my wrist, I could have sworn a flash of guilt race through his onyx depths. 

Giving him a soft smile once more, it wasn't the first altercation I had with a combative patient- it might be the first one where I was by myself on a floor but something I had experienced all the same. It seemed he was deciding against his better judgement once as he placed the phone into my outstretched palm. I could feel my smile relax into something a bit more genuine, at his show of trust. 

I lowered the phone to the bed so he could see the screen, double tapping the screen. It came to life beneath my finger bathing the room in its soft glow. The man sucked in a deep breath recoiling from the brightness? I didn't dare look up at him as my finger raced across the screen opening the internet to the most readily available language translator. 

Hitting the record button and gestured to him and then his throat and outward from my mouth splaying my fingers as I went. 

I tried to ignore the childishness that came with the attempt to convey my desire from him to speak. He blinked owlishly before widening in understanding at my actions. 

**"Who are you?"** I recognized the phase he spoke as the first one he has asked me. 

The phone translated it to English within moments, speaking to me his question. 

Japanese, he was speaking japanese! I made a soft exclamation of understanding nodding my head to myself at my phones discovery of my language. Tapping away at the screen I prepared it for a response for him.

"My name is Ophelia, it is Thursday February 29th at 1:32 in the morning." I gave a brief pause looking up at him, his gaze was scrutinizing. "You are in Lakeview General hospital in Cleveland Ohio, you have been in a coma for 5 days." My pointer finger danced across the phone of my screen, translating my spoken phrase to japanese. 

I tapped the small speaker for it to play it's translated phrase out loud. The reaction was immediate as the broad man physically recoiled arching away from me, wretching his big paw away from the other wrist he was holding. 

**"What?!"** I tapped the speaker again to replay the translated phrase. It was something done entirely out of habit because disorientation was entirely too common when waking up from prolonged unconsciousness. 

It didn't seem to help the second time. The myriad of emotions that flickered over his face were incredibly quick and dare I say he seemed to be hesitating toward hysteria. 

"Who are you? My name is Ophelia" I spoke into the translator, pointing to myself once again I said my name. I pointed a figure at him and played the translation to him. He nodded in understanding and I prepared the translator so he could ask a question. 

**"Jiraiya, my name is Jiraiya. Where are Tsunade and Orochimaru?"**

The names! I recognized the names! Even as the translator spoke his question, I knew those names. 

I stiffened as my brain processed what just actually had been said, I could feel the color drain from my face.

In my mind the two figures I saw slotted into place with their names and I now understood just why they were so familiar.

The Sannin, the Sannin were the trio I saw in my minds eye from this man- Jiraiya. That's why the scene looked so familiar because it was one that I had seen before. 

I had watched the battle for Amegakure between the Sannin and Hanzo the salamander during the second shinobi war. It was incredibly gut wrenching to have physically seen the fighting first hand, seeing it in such realistic detail in comparison to the 2D rendering the anime alternative offered. 

I did realize I was hyperventilating until Jiraiya- the freaking toad sage of Mount Myoboku. _A fictional anime character of a show I used to watch growing up_. Rested his hand on my forearm. I desperately needed time to collect myself, I bowed my head and cradled my face in my palms forcing my body to take slower more controlled breaths. 

There was absolutely no way I could deny this man a fictional character, from a different world was sitting in my hospital.

If he was a cosplayer he was fucking brilliant.

_He's not._

I knew he wasn't, because I could taste the acrid smoke from the battlefield when I saw the movie play out. I could taste the decay heavy on my tongue from the bodies that littered the battlefield. 

I forced my shaky hands into motion along the screen. 

"Would you like some water to drink?" I waited patiently for his response.

 **"Yes"** There was a very long pause as he eyed me warily. I eyed him back, that small voice in the back of my head named _denial_ demanded he prove he was who he said and not a cosplayer. 

How could I get him to prove he is who he says he is? Thinking back to when I first walked into the room made a lot more sense, it wasn't his aura that was massive it was his _chakra._ The wisps of raw energy floating around him was his _chakra_ and even now it was steadily growing and filling the confining space. 

"I will be right back with some water." He gave me a brief nod and I slipped from the room in a daze, checking things over on the nurses desk to make sure my patients were still peachy.

I grabbed various snacks around it including my own lunch, In case he was hungry and freshwater for Jiraiya. My shoes padded across the floor as I placed the items onto the tray beside him, he looked over them with an unreadable expression. 

Jiraiya reached for one of the bottles of water and eyed it warily. Did they have bottles of water in Naruto? I am vaguely aware they had cans, but maybe not bottles? 

I made a brief twisting motions with my hands, as if twisting the lid off the water and he seemed to nod in understanding. 

We could totally be charades buddies, we'd kick so much ass. He hesitantly sniffed the water before taking a tiny sip, whatever apprehension he seemed to have about the water vanished as he finished the entire bottle with greedy gulps. 

"Can I ask you some questions?" My phone echoed my question in his native tongue, he gave a tiny hesitant nod. "Are...are you able to summon your toads? Ma or Pa toad?" 

I was very reluctant to play that question for him in his language, this man could very well kill me if he was Jiraiya. How would he react to a woman who didn't speak his language, know something as personal as the animal he could summon? 

But damnit it I needed to know! Against my own judgement and the roaring of blood in my ears I played the question for him. 

Surprise was the first emotion that flickered across his face, followed briefly by annoyance, irritation, and lastly hopefulness? 

His fingers moved faster than my eyes could see in a sequence that could only have been the summoning jutsu, he slammed his bloodied fingers down on the bed and I was far too enthralled to see the black scrawling ink spread from his fingers like an inky web. 

Two small poofs of smoke emerged from the center of the ink and as it cleared I couldn't keep the whimsical smile off my face. 

That's so damn cool! I know an actual anime character! 

I wasn't very proud of the fangirling that followed, I could only be grateful it was internalized. 

The two tiny toads stood on either side of Jiraiya's knees. I couldn't understand the conversation they were having, exchange of words was so quick it felt like I was watching a ping pong game.

The relief that filled Jiraiya's younger and quite frankly handsome face in the company of two very familiar beings made the discomfort of asking the question one hundred percent worth it. 

A soft cough broke me out of my mental debate, I blinked my gaze re-focusing on the group in front of me. I could feel my face warm at the fact they had caught me staring at them with a goofy grin on my face. 

I ducked my face in embarrassment, much to the apparent amusement of Pa toad who snickered at me, Ma toad snapped something at him and his face abruptly lost all trace of amusement. 

The mirth in Ma toads eyes made my smile widen, even married toads could still be whipped. I may not have understood the words exchanged but, the sudden sullen nature of the toad was blatantly understood. 

I giggled at his sudden change in demeanor, Ma toad ambled her way across the bed to me and I watched again in rapt fascination. My goofy smile again blood on my redend face. 

**"Who are you girl? Jiraiya Boy tells us you speak in a different tongue?"** A small gasp tore from my lips, I should have had my phone ready! Instead of sitting here fangirling. I stood up from my seat to pull out my phone, fingers racing across the screen before holding up to her in invitation. 

Ma looked back at Jiraiya with an eyebrow raised, he gave her a short clipped response in japanese and repeated her question again. 

I nodded rapidly, smiling at her. 

"My name is Ophelia! I speak English." The translation replayed for them and they too like Jiraiya had recoiled once the sound emanated from the machine. 

Ma toad turned back to Pa toad and Jiraiya exchanging a few words, tilting my head questioningly at them. Ma pointed at her left temple, Pa nodded encouragingly and Jiraiya raised a white eyebrow. 

Ma grabbed my free hand and drug me up the bed so I was beside Jiraiya, I winced in her grasp. She looked at my hand and did a double take at my wrists and leveled a glared at the white haired sage. 

Said man just groaned pitifully and leaned his head back onto his pillows.

There was something about seeing a tiny purple toad shaking her tiny fist at a mountain of a man that was undoubtedly hilarious, the green toad on the other side of sage just seemed exasperated. 

Jiraiya finally held up his hands in a placating gesture at the female toad, flipping through a particularly long sequence before leaning forward and tapping his fingers against my left temple. 

White spots like lightning raced against my vision, the temple where he tapped, heat burned and spasmed against my skull. A pained whimper tore from my throat as I backed away from the bed holding my head, my back met the wall and sliding down to my knees curling in on myself. 

It felt like every beat of my heart would send that white lightning across my temples bouncing across the inside of my skull.

I welcomed the cool brace of unconsciousness.


	2. Wot in Tarnation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one in which we learn Japanese, learn about senjutsu, and promptly rip Canon into tiny, tiny pieces.
> 
> Jiraiya would like to know when he had been forsaken, he would like to unsubscribe, plox.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so surprised this has gotten as much attention as it has, so please, Reader-san, take this I made it just for you! ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ

Fuinjutsu was a beautiful thing, it also had a vast array of uses both on and off the battlefield.

Want your bath to have hot water? Slap a seal into it. 

Need more storage space for items that wouldn't fit into your pack? Hand me that empty scroll over there and I'll give you three times the space. 

Maybe even a barrier that hides chakra signature and presences? 

Jiraiya can personally confirm the last one has multiple uses, it's a personal favorite at the local onsen. 

A lecherous giggle escaped. 

At the time, it should have been obvious not to use untested seals, it should have also been obvious to pay attention when inking said untested and new seal. 

You think one would have learned the first time they came away with singed finger tips, that you need complete attention while practicing the art of fuintjutsu. 

Jiraiya; Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku, in fact did not. 

It undoubtedly explains why he here in the first place. 

He wasn't even aware he was unconscious, until coming to with a startling realization and years of ingrained instinct told me someone was standing over his supine form. 

It was all just reaction at this point, someone was standing over his slumbering form flaring their chakra. 

As a shinobi it wasn't the first assassination attempted on the great Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku, but it would be this assassins last! 

Coal eyes flashed open snatching the hands poised over his body- all it would take was a quick flex of his wrists and their arms would be bent the wrong way. 

He however, wasn't expecting a soft feminine whimper that came with snatching the hands out of the air. Leveling the female with a glare, he could see the hesitation and discomfort in her chartreuse orbs. 

She parted her full lips and the sounds that came out were undoubtedly human but...

 _He have no idea what she just said._

**"Who are you?"** Jiraiya snapped at the women, she sucked in a ragged breath biting her lower lip in an expression that could only be concern. 

There is no way this woman was a Kunoichi, she wore her expressions on her face blatantly. Also, she had faint remnants of chakra? But, someone was just flaring their chakra above him? Was it hers?

Jiraiya reeled mentally, it didn't feel any chakra at all. His flinty eyes darted from her face to then to the room around him. 

Which, in itself made absolutely no sense. 

Where in the shinobi nations was Jiraiya that had no chakra? He could feel his own thrumming beneath his skin so he could confirm that hr wasn't wearing chakra suppressants.

He, in fact wasn't wearing suppressants or restraints of any kind. 

Well, he supposed he could cross off prisoner of war off the list of wherever in the hell he has found himself. 

Completely unsatisfied with his observation of the room he found himself, he turned back to the women whose hands he held in vice grip. Once she realized he was paying attention again, she repeated the garbled words she said just moments before. 

It wasn't any easier to understand a second time. 

**"Where am I? Where is Tsunade-Hime and Orochi-teme?"** The woman's face scrunched up in contemplation, her nose wrinkled cutely like a child who tasted something sour for the first time. 

Whatever she was contemplating she had thought of a solution, her lips parted in what could only be an epiphany. 

Slowly, the woman rotated her hips in what could only be a display of her flexibility. Her fingers twisting in my grasp in an attempt to point towards the back of her pants.

"Phone."

What? The absolute one time Jiraiya no desire to be a letch, a woman is very blatantly showing off her very appreciated pear shaped figure- 

"Phone." She repeated fingers flickered again toward the pocket. 

There was something in her pocket, was it the name she kept repeating? Adjusting his grip on her wrist so one hand held both _slender and petite wrists_ \- his free hand fished out the item from the pocket on her ass. 

What the hell was this? It was small, smaller than my metal forehead protector similarly rectangular in shape.

Glaring despondently at the black rectangle, the sound of a soft giggle stopped my glare at the unknown object. Focusing on her face, the soft smile she gave held amusement.

It didn't seem in anyway condescending, but genuine amusement. 

"Phone." There was that word again from her, she nodded her head toward the object in my hand. 

**"Phone."** His tongue felt as foreign within his mouth as the words he tried to say. 

Kami he needed a drink, preferably something _strong_ and Tsunade approved. 

The laughter his action garnered from the attempt to say that word kind of made it worth it, something loosened minutely in within his chest and made him feel more at ease. 

Jiraiya such a sap, if this was a honey pot he'd be so screwed. 

_Beautiful women were such a weakness._

She cupped her hands together, eyes darting from the object in my hand to her own. 

"Please? I'd like to be able to talk to you, and this phone will help!" She seemed to really want this object, what the hell did it do? Couldn't sense any ill intent coming from her despite being unaware of the words she just spoke. 

If he die here, he was such an idiot and deserved every insult Orochimaru has ever called him. In a last ditch effort to assert dominance over her this foreign women he gave a warning squeeze on her wrists.

He fought a wince at the all to familiar sounds of bones in her wrist popping and grinding together, it wasn't a pleasant sound in the least. 

Neither was the whimper that she attempted to repress.

Reluctantly releasing one of her wrists, Jiraiya took notice of the black and blue fingerprints beginning to blossom around a bandage portion of her wrist. How could he have not noticed it was bandaged? She had a previous injury and I spent the last 10 minutes squeezing the life out of them. 

_Tsunade-hime would have punched him through 6 floors._

Setting the object in her outstretched palm, the woman sent me a re-assuring smile and set the black rectangle on the bed beside his leg. 

Never in all Jiraiya's years as a shinobi would he have expected her to tap her finger tips against it and have the box illuminate. 

_It was at this moment that he was positive he was not in Ame anymore._

_Where in the hell was he?!_

The foreign brunette pointed at her throat, her fingers splaying outward from her mouth. 

Did she want him to talk? Ok, the majestic toad himself could do that,, giving a brief nod to her in understanding, he heard a faint beep.

 **"Who are you?"** Jiraiya asked in a rather clipped tone. She hesitated, for just a moment before the fingers of her hand moved across the screen of the device on the bed with what I can only assume was practiced ease. 

She let out a sound that could only possibly be excitement, spoke quickly and excitedly near the device and her fingers danced across the screen once again before a voice he could understand emanated from the box.

"My name is Ophelia, it is Thursday February 29th at 1:32 in the morning. You are in Lakeview General hospital in Cleveland Ohio, you have been in a coma for 5 days."

 **"What?!"** If anyone were to ask about this moment, the toad sage most certainly didn't shriek. 

The women replayed the response and it didn't make anymore sense the second time. 

Never before had he ever heard of the name 'Ophelia' what did that name even mean? The only things he could comprehend and understand from the phrase spoken in his language was the time and the date.

It was obvious he was in a hospital, that much he was aware of for sure but what was 'Cleveland Ohio?' 

Lost within his tumultuous thoughts he did not noticed her speak into the box again until it spoke again in my language. 

"Who are you? my name is Ophelia." Her fingers danced across the screen and pushed the phone toward me once she was finished. 

**"Jiraiya, my name is Jiraiya. Where is Tsunade-hime and Orochimaru-teme?"** Without even looking at the device she replayed it in her language. She appeared to be very lost in thought, her eyes widened. She muttered under her breath in her language, the only thing I understood was my name being said. 

Ophelia became frantic, eyes darting side to side seeing something he himself obviously couldn't. She began hyperventilating, each breath becoming more ragged than the last. 

Thinking quick, he placed hjd palm against her forearm and it seemed to break the mental train that was going off the rails. She rested her elbows against her legs and cradled her head in her hands, he could hear the slow steady breaths she forced herself to take. 

Well, she obviously knew who he was. My teammates were just given the moniker of the Sannin, how did she know who he was? 

...and what the hell would elicit a reaction like that? 

"Would you like any water?" She eyed him warily, with hesitation he hadn't seen in her before she knew what his name was. 

**"Yes"** He inclined his head in response. Ophelia's head bobbed in understanding. 

"I will be right back with some water." Turning on her heel, walking quickly from the room. 

Feeling more confused now than when he had initially woken up. Hesitantly his hand reached up to rub at his face in exasperation, he settled for groaning dejectedly into his palm. 

Just what had happened that he ended up here? Closing obsidian eyes against his palms, Jiraiya forced himself to recall the last thing he could. 

Slowly, the memories came back, vague snippets of war, death, destruction to smaller nations turned to body battle grounds. Suddenly, he remembered trying out a new barrier seal… his mind supplied the picture of the fuinjutsu seal he used. 

Groaning again into his hands again, easily seeing the mistake he made within his mind's eye.

Jiraiya, and his own dumb inability to test fuijutsu seals, realized he didn't stabilize it properly. Making it a completely unstable sealing array that was very volatile; it was honestly just asking for something to go wrong. 

He supposed the backlash of the seal apparently gave him mild chakra exhaustion; if the bone deep ache that permeated my body was anything to go by. 

It certainly explained being unconscious for so long. 

Okay, maybe 5 days was still something excessive and obviously not the only factor here but with the physical backlash of a volatile sealing array- now that I'm thinking about it the stray enemy lightning jutsu that hit the seal in Ame's rain really didn't help the situation at all. 

After everything was said and done, Jiraiya was just happy to be alive. 

Jiraiya could hear the soft footfalls of Ophelia's approach, her arms were filled to the brim with colorful packages that could only be snacks and a couple containers of water. 

She settled into the only seat in the room, very much looking as distracted as she did before she left, nibbling on her cherry red lower lip between pearly white teeth. 

Turning my attention back to the snacks and beverages she brought it, he snagged the container of water off the counter.

This seems terribly flimsy, the material rolled easily beneath my fingers. 

How does it-? 

Raising an eyebrow at the woman sitting across the room, she made a twisting motion with one of her hands. 

Oh, that's how. 

Copying her motion the lid of the container came off relatively easily, bringing the water to my nose I sniffed it warily. 

It didn't smell poisoned, a quick pulse of diagnostic chakra yielded no results. 

Taking a small sip of the water he didn't realize how parched he was and within moments the bottle was drained quickly and discarded. 

"Can I ask you some questions?" The voice from the black box spoke, hesitantly he gave the women a brief nod. 

Hopefully, he could ask some too and figure out how to get back to Ame. She spoke quickly, softly to the box, looking between me and then her phone her face seemed at ease but her eyes held slight fear. 

Was she afraid to ask me a question? 

"Are...are you able to summon your toads? Ma or Pa Toad?" 

_He was such an idiot._

Why the hell wasn't that one of the first things he did when he woke up?! 

Reverse summoning could bring him back to Mount Myoboku and he'd easily be able to make it back to Konoha in no time. 

With a quick nip to his fingers they raced through the summing sequence.

 **"Kuchiyose no Jutsu."** There was two puffs, subtle displacements of air and he was staring down at tiny familiar toads. 

"It's about time you get into contact with us Jiraiya Boy!" Pa toad croaked out at me.

"Where have you been? One second were fighting along side you in Amegakure and then you disappeared!" Ma toad scuttled closer appraising him for any injuries.

"Well… you see there was this seal I wanted to try-" Jiraiya began rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. 

"You've been MIA for a month Gaki!" Pa glared at him something fierce from his place on his knee. 

A month? Ophelia said he had only been here for 5 days? 

"A month? Are you sure?" Arms folded across his chest. "I've been in a Coma here for five days." The two toads seemed taken aback at the revelation. 

"Jiraiya boy, tell me were you attempting time space seals in the middle of _war?"_

Shima- or Ma toad was suddenly the most terrifying thing in the room, Quickly he sputtered out a negative at her.

She didn't seem pacified in the least.

"Jiraiya boy, we aren't in Ame any more that much I can tell." Fukasaku grumped out "Where are we?" 

"Its funny you asked." It really wasn't at all "I have no idea, Ophelia suggested I summon you." Pa toad said the name questioningly, Ma toads brows were furrowed in confusion. "She said I'm in _Lakeview General Hospital_ in _Cleveland Ohio."_

Both toads were now gawking

"She doesn't speak our tongue but apparently her _phone_ can." Jiraiya murmured "Do you know where we are?" Both sages shook their head in a negative. My eyes pass over the toads heads to stare at Ophelia seated on the chair across the bed. 

She looked absolutely enchanted at watching us, the whimsical smile she had watching the two toads was something that kind of sent up some red flags,, and unnerved him. 

First of all, he didn't sense any chakra here. It wasn't that far fetched for there to be no shinobi here then-

_How did she know he could summon them?_

Pa Toad gave a cough, breaking both Ophelia and myself out of our mental derail. We couldn't contain our snickers when the women's face redden with embarrassment. 

"You hold your tongue Pa, or I will!" She turned her glare to me and I had to bite my cheek to keep from laughing. 

It wasn't an unusual site back on the mountain to see Ma dragging Pa around by his tongue when she thought it got away from him, the poor toad was so whipped to let it happen. If the faint _yes dear_ , that came from him seconds later was any indication. 

Shima ambled toward Ophelia who tilted her head to the side and watched the toad approach her, gentle smile gracing her face with pinkened cheeks.

 _Are those dimples?_

**"Who are you girl? Jiraiya Boy tells us you speak in a different tongue?"** The smile quickly fell from her face and her lips parted in surprise as she stood quickly fishing out the rectangular box- her _phone_ from her pocket. 

"What is she doing Jiraiya Boy?" Pa scuttle closer to see the device. 

"That's what she uses to talk to me, it speaks our language." 

Shima repeated her question to Ophelia's phone. The same warm smile graced her face, with pinkened and dimpled cheeks. She spoke happily into her phone, her voice despite sounding like gibberish was soothing happy babble. 

"My name is Ophelia! I speak English." Her voice was so very different from the monotone one that came from the device. 

"English?" Pa toad said questioningly "I haven't heard that name in years, but I'm fairly certain it was an old Kumo dialect." He bobbed his head a few times, Ma toad hummed I'm agreement beside Ophelia. 

"Jiraiya Boy, if you have been having issues why didn't you just use a seal that helped her understand our tongue." He glared with all his might at the toad.

"Fuinjutsu was how I ended up here in the first place! You want me to create new seals?" Fukasaku sighed at his pupils obliviousness. 

"You can be so bull headed even in the best of times Jiraiya boy." He folded his webbed appendages across his chest. "Kotoba no kabe?" The look Jiraiya gave him wasn't a very reassuring one.

"It's a very common jutsu used by shinobi on intelligence missions in different shinobi nations to help understand the different dialects Jiraiya boy." Ma spoke tapping her left temple where the language deciphering part of the brain resigned. Pa nodded his head in agreement.

"Why the hell is this the first time I'm hearing about this?! He asked the married sages incredulously. 

"You never asked Gaki!" 

"Okay okay fine, how do we do the jutsu?" Pa carefully walked Jiraiya through the process of the jutsu, the large white haired man mimic's the hand signs. 

Shima grabbed the petite hand of the woman and dragged her up beside Jiraiya. Ophelia winced in the toads grip and did a double take at the blossoming purple colors around her wrist and leveled the man with a glare.

"Gaki…" the room quickly felt degrees colder. He groaned flopping pathetically back onto his pillows.

"I was disoriented!" 

Why was he so terrified of a toad no taller than his own knee? 

The threats she snarked at him shouldn't be repeated in the presence of innocent company. Waving the metaphorically white flag he lifted his hands up in surrender to the terrifying purple toadette. 

"I'll apologise about it after we do the Kotoba no kabe jutsu." She glared at Jiraiya still but lowered her tiny webbed appendage. 

My fingers flickered through the hand signs

 **"Raiton: Kotoba no Kabe!"** Jiraiya could feel the lightning race down his arms into his finger tips, he gingerly tapped Ophelia's left temple. 

To say the woman crumpled to the ground like a wet piece of paper, was the kindest way to describe what we just witnessed. 

Guilt washed over him, it felt like he just electrocuted a kitten with the tiny whimpers that escaped her as she folded up on the ground. 

"I think I used to much chakra… she doesn't have any, I wonder if she has a sensitivity to it?" placing his chin in between fingers he watched tremors wrack her unconscious form. 

_"Gaki!"_

Pa toad would never out loud admit to the satisfaction of watching a grown human male flinch at his mate's anger, it was better Jiraiya then himself anyway. 

* * *

Groaning rolling onto my back taking in deep steady breaths. My body felt heavy as lead, but the floor was nice and cool against my heated skin. 

"I feel like I just got struck by lightning" tongue lolling uselessly, feeling foreign in my own mouth, whining pitifully from my spot on the floor.

"Well Ophelia girl, Jiraiya gaki pretty much did just that." There was a thump from somewhere above me and a very masculine whimper. "Come on Ophelia girl, let's get you back into the chair." The phantom tremors that wracked my body didn't stop me from getting into the chair, heavy limbs doing a fantastic impression of a newborn foal. 

"I take it what Jiraiya did, is the reason I'm able to suddenly understand you now?" Pa toad harrumphed from this cross legged position on Jiraiya's knee. 

"Katabe no Kabe." He said succinctly with a sharp nod of his head. 

But that's all he said, was that supposed to make sense or mean anything to me? It was as if the mental fog in my head suddenly lifted and the very words The green frog _did suddenly make sense._

"Language Barrier technique?" A predatory smile split the green toads face, while the purple toadette patted my knee encouragingly. Said white haired man coughed from his spot on the bed, folding his broad arms across his chest. 

"I know you said you have questions. But, we have some as well and we would really like some answers." The man leveled me with, what I could only describe as a 'no bullshit' expression. "Like how you knew my teammates, and the fact I could summon toads." 

I gave one singular nod of my head 

Oh my god, could I single handedly change the storyline of Naruto so that poor innocent boy never has to grow up alone? 

_I most certainly would and I wouldn't even feel bad about doing it._

"I will answer your questions, toad sage." his eyes narrowed ever so slightly at the name. "But, if you'd be so kind I'd love to finish asking the rest of mine now that Shima, and Fukasaku are here." I gave a genuine smile to the married toads. 

"Have you taken your Konoha genin team yet?" His eyes narrowed even further. "I promise to answer the questions, I will even be able to show you proof of how I know these things." I held up my phone for him to see, he gave the phone a cursory glance before settling his glare back onto me. 

"Yes." I honestly couldn't blame him for not giving up anymore information than that. 

"Have you taught the orphans in Ame?" His face scrunched up in confusion, that was a no then. "A prophecy from the great toad sage." The looks Ma and Pa were sharing were becoming wary as I continued speaking. 

"Jiraiya boy has quite a few prophecies Ophelia girl, which one?" I bit my lip in apprehension, if Jiraiya is here right now… is he missing the opportunity to teach the Ame orphans? I certainly hoped not. 

"The boy with the Rinnegan eyes." The three of them briefly resembled gaping fishies. 

"How... how do you know that? No one but the toads know of this prophecy." Ma toad had ambled closer to me with a sharp questioning gaze. 

"If I tell you, please keep it between us for now. The very existence of your world could easily be thrown off balance with knowledge it isn't supposed to know." How deep do I go? The truth bomb certainly is a very heavy one, and a lot to take in at once. 

"That's a lot to ask of us. I could easily torture you right now for that information from you regardless if you willingly gave it up or not." Jiraiya bared his teeth in challenge at me.

"Hot date with T&I?" A sharp smile split my face.

I was such a fangirl for the desire to experience all the things, even if they weren't necessarily nice things. 

"I kid but, just be glad you're laying down I have a feeling you aren't going to like what I say." I eyed the two toads and the white haired sage. "Konoha's roots are thick with blight. At this point, I couldn't tell you the severity of it but I _can_ tell you what will happen if it's left unchecked." 

Jiraiya's face twisted into something close to a grimace that made me all too aware that he knew exactly what I was talking about. 

"You are talking about Ne aren't you?" I nodded my head. 

"If left unchecked, Ne causes the third possibly fourth shinobi war." This time Jiraiya did recoil, he was in the middle of the second one right now isn't he? I can't imagine being in his shoes and being told your world is going to face two more wars. "It also causes the massacre of one of Konoha's founding clans- actually are Dan and Nawaki still alive?" 

"Still alive?" His voice suddenly very high and keening. 

"The man behind Ne has clan heirs and potential Hokage candidates murdered so he has less competition." 

"Shimura Danzo kills Dan and Nawaki?" 

"I'm pretty sure he also had Orochimaru's parents murdered." Jiraiya was just as pale as his hair. "Along with your Sensei's heir as well…" 

"Okay, stop, this is a lot of conjecture." Jiraiya bowed his head in his hand, the other held up asking her to stop. 

"Do you need a few minutes? I can tell you a bit more when you're ready." I glanced at the clock on the wall. "I can be back in a half hour after I've finished my rounds." Jiraiya gave me a shaky nod, I grab the food off to the side and push it in front of him. "You probably don't feel the best after what I've just told you, but please get some food in your belly; it has been sometime since you've eaten." 

Setting the lunch I had brought for today toward the front pile of the other snacks. "It's me by myself on the floor, so you can press this button here." I pointed the red button on the rail of the bed "if you need me to come back in, immediately or I should be floating around right outside okay?" At three consecutive nods, I snagged my medical cart along the way and settled back into my routine of checking patients and administering medications. 

The only blessing about this floor, is how quiet it is and thus how fast everything can get done. I rolled my cart up to the nurses station once the rounds were completed and plopped down on the seat to knock out some charting.

Because there was literally _always_ some to do. 

I shouldn't have been surprised when Fukasaku decided to join me at the nurses station, I just wished I hadn't damn near jumped out of my seat in the process. 

The bastard didn't even have the gull to look ashamed. 

"Ophelia girl, I think you shaved years off of that gaki's life by dropping that on him all at once." Unconsciously my lower lip found its way between my teeth. 

"You are right, it is a lot all at once. It's probably incredibly unfair to him, the few things I've mentioned. But if anyone is able to do anything about it, it would be Jiraiya." I scratched the back of my head in my half hearted attempt to stay focused on the screen in front of me. 

"I probably won't see any of you again after today, so I want to be able to help in any way I can…the truth hurts, it hurts a lot." I admitted softly staring at the toad sitting next to the computer monitor. I would bet they were going to grab Jiraiya and reverse summon him outta here the second my jaw quit yappin'.

It would be a fool's bet, that's totally what was going to happen.

Since I was no shinobi, I wasn't going to be fighting anyone anytime soon. However, I just so happened to have a plethora of information that could save lives.

"But the truth could also save the lives of hundreds, and I don't know about you Pa but I think they are all important and are worth trying to save." A small sad smile appeared on my face. 

"I'm such a bleeding heart, I care so much for people I haven't even met." I cradled my face in my hands, the toad snorted at my admission. 

"I don't know you Ophelia girl, but I can tell you care greatly for others putting their own well being above your own." I had to bite my tongue from arguing, I had never heard a phrase more contradictory in my whole life. 

...Right? I mean... Who the hell was I trying to fool?

I worked nights because it was one of the least sought after shifts, that way a parent could choose to be with their family instead. I floated from different floors of the hospital so there would be coverage so a coworker didn't get run ragged. I spent time with those confined to their beds and those who were victims to their failing bodies offering companionship when their families weren't available to visit. 

It was the one thing I wanted for myself, I just wanted someone to be there for me like I was to others. 

I was most certainly a damn bleeding heart and needy because of it too. 

I didn't try to hide the sad miserable laugh that escaped me. The toad stared at me with a softened gaze that spoke years of wisdom in understanding. 

I slid back into my chair letting my eyes close, I had hours left of my shift and had a few minutes to spare before I had to go in and finish my chat with Jiraiya. 

It wasn't the time for me to loose my shrimp.

Taking slow breaths, grounding myself to push negative intent through the soles of my feet with each exhale. It just wouldn't help me at all to harbor it, it didn't serve me so I let it _go._ Feeling the soft thrum of energy in the surrounding air flowing and filling me with every inhale. 

I opened my eyes to a very intrigued Fukasaku. 

Ophelia girl, do you know what you've just done?" I hesitantly nodded

"I do it all the time when I get overwhelmed? I love hearing the vibrations of the world around me... It helps me slow my roll." Pa toad looked appalled at my terminology.

"Would this be a bad time to say that's how I ended up getting Jiraiya to wake up?" 

Pa toad actually tripped standing still.

"Alright gaki, enough stalling. Back to the other gaki we go." He helped himself to my shoulder and perched himself there. I gave a half hearted sigh and trailed back to the room, said gaki was currently occupying. 

It was very funny to walk into a room to see a man as big as Jiraiya getting mother henned by such a small toad. He wasn't putting up too much of a fight, I think he rather enjoyed the fussing she was doing.

I slid into the seat opposite the bed

"Ma." Shima looked over at her husband mid attempt to shove a broccoli floret into Jiraiya's mouth.

"We have two gaki's" he grumped at her, and without saying anything else, I felt the world around me sharpen and magnify, colors I hadn't a name for were suddenly incredibly vivid and breathtaking. 

The soft comforting purr of the world around me was incredibly soothing, it reminded me of the sounds of a tattoo needle, or maybe a dentist drill.

Not exactly the nicest when you first heard them but the sounds themselves were soothing to me nonetheless. 

"Oh, that's nice." Dopey smile on my face. 

"Fukasaku!" Uh oh, Ma toad was mad!

"But- that's how… I thought only-" Jiraiya sputtered like a record player. The world slowly softened and returned to its muted state, the soft hum became a dull white noise crackling in my ears. 

"This gaki gave you a chakra transfusion without even realizing it, since there is no chakra available here beside senjutsu. You would have been unconscious a lot longer as your body struggled to make chakra gaki." I didn't miss the sharp inhale and widening of his eyes as he processed what he said.

"Chakra transfusion? I didn't know that's what that was, does that mean the nature chakra here is similar to yours?" Pa toad snickered from his perch on my shoulder.

"You didn't turn to stone did you?" I hmm'd in response, I most certainly didn't turn into stone but I felt stoned. 

I guess they were pretty similar?

"I'm gonna go out on a limb and say our chakra isn't as potent as yours is." 

"No one has any here." Jiraiya wrinkled his nose in distaste, it explained why his chakra was so potent to the point it saturated the air around him. 

"I can see yours, it's saturated in the air around you leaves a weird aftertaste in the back of my throat." The tips of his ears turned red and he grumbled under his breath, I didn't understand it but Ma did.

She didn't like what she heard and Jiraiya was now nursing another goose egg on his head. 

"So before you all reverse summon your way back home, you probably have some more questions for me?" Was my way to strategically steer the conversation back on point. 

"So" the sage readjusted himself on the bed "How do you know who I am?" 

I told him exactly how I know of him. 

"Your godchild, the child of prophecy is somewhat revered here." I could see the mental cogs turning in his head the 'I don't have a god child was left unsaid.'

Then I pulled out my phone and proceeded to show them proof of exactly how I knew these things. 

I tried to keep things relevant to what I knew of the time frame he was in, showing him entirely what the future _would_ become probably wasn't going to be doing him any favors.

"But I don't even look like that!" The white haired sage protested, I nodded in understanding.

"No, you're right, much cuter in person. It's why it took me so long realize it was actually you." The man's ears turned scarlet again. 

"So what is the biggest threat we have right now?" At some point in our conversation Pa toad had gotten himself a comfier spot in my lap, my fingers idly trailed through the wispy lock of hair on his head. 

"Danzo is the biggest instigator." I started; delving into what he does to Orochimaru, segregating him in the village slowly before cracking completely under pressure and turning into a mad scientist.

Jiraiya was livid with the thought of Danzo hurting Tsunade, he was mortified with the thought of Orochimaru being ostracized from the Village.

Bastard or not, he got a hard enough time normally just with his looks, Jiraiya said so himself. 

I whined pitifully at the mere thought of what was going to happen to Konoha's white fang. 

Hatake Sakumo was a goddamn snack, and never deserved the fate he received. 

I was honestly lucky not to be in Konoha, because I'd protest this all _violently._

...I don't think I'd get very far but, it didn't hurt to try right? 

I may have had this tiny crush on Sakumo okay? Or maybe it was just the Hatake genes in general, have you seen Tobirama? silver foxes-...er wolves? The lot of them! I coughed wiping the metaphorical drool from my lips as I turned my attention back to Jiraiya, he seemed far too amused at my admission of his friend. 

"Zetsu antagonizes all of the shinobi nations doing either Madara's bidding." I bit my lower lip in contemplation. 

"I gotta go with Danzo honestly." If he is cut from power Konoha is almost certain to not lose potential power houses and comrades. "On the date of birth of your godson Zetsu is going to come to you, for the sick thrill of the nine tails; that bastard is good at hiding and it's best to let him come to you then trap him." 

It felt like I was between a rock and a hard place to give him certain details. 

Like, Obito killing Minato, or Orochimaru killing his Sarutobi-Sensei. 

Perhaps it would be best to leave that tidbit to the side for now.

I stressed the fact that with careful planning and taking certain players off the field that those people would never turn into evil counterparts. 

He took it surprisingly well, a lot better after some video proof was provided. 

It might have to do with the fact that he was a spy, or a shinobi.

"I very much understand cause and effect, if we are able to cull the blight. Half of what you know won't even be a concern anymore." 

That's not necessarily a good thing either, but that was life wasn't it? No one knew every second of their day what was going to happen.

Sometimes it was better not knowing at all… and now I feel bad telling him everything I did. 

Ignorance isn't bliss isn't it? 

Growling lowly in my throat, I leaned my head back taking slow deep breaths.

I pushed all of that ignorance is bliss shit right out of my body through the soles of my feet. 

This was for a blonde haired cerulean eyed boy who deserved the world, and me talking to Jiraiya may very well be Canon diverged at this point with everything he knew.

The man had a master spy network, if he can't tear them apart from the inside out I very much doubted his credibility as a Sannin. 

"I hate it when you do that, you shouldn't be able to do that all." I opened my eyes to meet the toad sages narrow eyed gaze. Pa snickered at him, Ma seemed only fondly exasperated at this point. 

"You're right, I shouldn't be able to." I smiled sheepishly, I could feel my cheeks pinkened. "But, I don't think it's nearly the same as what you are able to do" one end of my lips curled into a playful smirk "Not even in the same ballpark." 

He would never get used to my odd terminology and references. 

"I'll take your word for it?" He sighed dropping his head back onto the pillows. "You are the best informant I've ever had, and after we leave I am never going to be able to get any delicious gossip again." His melancholy persona did a 180 at the mere thought of doing field research for said gossip. 

All I could do was hum softly in response, this entire experience was an absolute dream come true.

_I never want it to end._

"You'll be leaving soon then?" Ma and Pa toad exchanged a look before nodding the amphibious heads. 

"It would be best not to linger in places we aren't supposed to be." Shima leveled Jiraiya with a glare, "Some of us have already been here far too long." 

The man could do nothing but sigh again in response to the toad.

"I'd be delighted to get back home, I don't know how the gaki's can stand it. The air is far too thin here to breathe comfortably."

It was safe to say I felt mildly alarmed with that admission, looking quickly to Jiraiya in concern and to the machines surrounding him. 

He shrugged in response.

"Ninja trick, probably why my chakra subconsciously saturated into the air in the first place."

Oh, that made sense too. 

"Well, it was awesome meeting you guys." I smiled warmly at the three figures in the room. "You really know how to make a woman feel special!" 

"It's not often we get to meet chakra less humans Ophelia girl, it's been a learning experience for all of us." Ma said just as warmly in response, I couldn't see Pa toads face from my angle but his arms were crossed pensively. 

"Neh, gaki…" Fukasaku started "How about you sign our summon scroll?"

I, abruptly choked on my spit with the sharp inhale of breath I took. 

"Would she be able to sign it?" Jiraiya tilted his head questioningly. Ma the poor purple toadette just looked blind sided, and then very excited. 

"A female summoner." Shima bounced in her spot beside Jiraiya's knee, food set aside long since forgotten. "I never thought I'd see the day! With that other soon to be male summoner gaki you've been eyeing, Ophelia girl would do nicely!" 

"Well, what are you waiting for Gaki? Summon Gama-chan!" Jiraiya grumbled under his breath. 

**"Kuchiyose no Jutsu"**

I should have asked if he had the room to summon the large toad- Oh, well we years away from Canon territory and Gama-chan is still a growing toad. 

He was roughly the size of a bernese mountain dog, which was still relatively large but not large enough to ride like Jiraiya will be able to do. 

Huh, his blue and orange markings were incredibly mesmerizing. 

Very symmetrical, I approved the symmetry whole heartedly.

"Hello Gama, may I have the-?" The toad tongue extended handing him the broad scroll. "Ah, yes thank you." He removed the scroll from the appendage and crossed his feet to be able to open the scroll at the foot of the bed.

There was only one other signature on the scroll I'm pretty sure it was only Jiraiya's

Minato hadn't even signed it yet? 

_I got to sign the scroll before Namikaze_ _Minato_ _._

I squealed so hard

It was so hard not to fangirl over everything, _I just couldn't help myself._

Pa toad patted my head softly, with amusement shimmering in his eyes. 

"Alright, so how do we do this?" Pa walked me through the process. 

Ma and Pa toad sat on either of my shoulders, I closed my eyes. In a way I had never felt before I drew in the energy of the world around me, pinpricks of energy saturated the soles of my feet traveling up my body with each inhale.

I was standing completely still, but it felt like I was floating with the amount of energy in the air around me, the hum of energy was infectious and I loved every sound I'd never been able to hear before.

My eyes open and I met Jiraiya's, his face was clearer than I had ever seen. Unnoticeable before, the tattoos on his face seemed to glow red, pronounced against his pale skin. Every twitch of muscles beneath his skin could be discerned, the minute widening of his eyes as he appraised my form. I could feel myself fidgeting under his lingering gaze.

Slicing the pad of my pointer finger, I delicately signed my name beside Jiraiya's. I touched blood to the pads of all my fingers and slammed my hand down onto the scroll, forcing the ambient energy in the air around me into the paper. 

The blood signature _glowed,_ pulsing faintly before settling back into its blood red color. 

"Did it work?" Both toads croaked in unison when a shiver shot down their spines as the signature of the new summoner washed over them.

"It did Ophelia girl!" Ma bounced on the shoulder opposite Pa. 

"I... I still don't understand at all how that's even remotely possible, but yeah you sure as hell did it." Jiraiya spoke quietly, Pa bobbed his amphibious head in understanding. 

"With your weak chakra, summoning might be impossible. However, we can keep in contact with you that way."

They just wanted to be able to talk to me again. 

I was completely and utterly okay with that. 

"As long as no one pops up in weird places, I'm completely okay with it." I couldn't keep the blinding smile off my face. "Thank you Gama!" The multicolored toad croaked, with the re-secured scroll on his tongue and dismissed himself. 

I had a feeling Ma and Pa toad weren't too far behind. Ma pressed her forehead to mine and an amphibious coo vibrated deep in her throat. 

I found it to be an incredibly comforting gesture. 

"You guys be careful okay? I'd never forgive myself if something happened to any of you." Why were they getting blurry suddenly? 

Big girls don't cry, I wasn't crying.

Not yet anyway.

"Someone has to keep these gaki's on their toes Ophelia girl." Pa gave a long suffering _Oi!_

"Thank you for waking me up, and thank you for looking out for me." _Thank you for looking out for my home_. Went unsaid but it was well understood anyway. 

I flashed Jiraiya a genuine dimpled smile and the man's cheeks pinkened. The toads ambled over to their human sage and mounted his shoulders.

With a wave of my fingers, the three poofed away reverse summoning to Mount Myoboku. 

Staring at the bed that Jiraiya once inhabited, I was suddenly by myself and I felt like my head was on cloud nine. 

_Did that really just happen?_

Slowly I made my way to the window to look out at the full moon in the dark starry night sky. 

The halo around the moon seemed to pulse with light, making the moon so much brighter in the nighttime sky. 

_Huh._

I was so enchanted with the ethereal sight of the moon that I never noticed it pulsing in unison with my Hiraeth tattoo on my wrist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it rather obvious that this was supposed to originally be Jiraiya x SI? But, honestly can we take a moment to appreciate Hatake genes? The Uchiha are just a tad bit overrated with their glowing peepers. *shrug* I'm a sucker for a romance fic, and this one is just a long winded version of that, can you guess the paring because...? ͡° ͜ʖ ͡° )


	3. Beans, Toads, and Insects oh my!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just filler really? Enjoy a snippet of toads becoming addicted to freeze dried bugs.

It was safe to say the remaining shift went by quietly.

When you work in the healthcare profession, you never say the Q word out loud _ever._

The full moon is just a cherry on top really. 

"Good morning Ophelia, do we have any changes to report from last night?" The nurse that I relieved yesterday asked as she plopped her belongings beside the computer. 

"Well, that John Doe-" A look of confusion flitted across her face.

"John Doe? When did we get a John Doe?" She asked. 

_Aha..?_

Is she serious? 

"The one you gave me a report on last night?" She scowled at me, sharing a look with the charge nurse who just joined us in the nursing station. 

Well, technically Jiraiya was never supposed to be here in the first place. I ignored her and searched for his John Doe chart on the computer. 

_There wasn't one._

Oh, oh shit. 

"Er, weird energy shit?" I offered her tentatively. She snorted at me in response. 

"I'm so tired of your _shit_ I need new relief." The nurse snarked at me. 

That was fair, I probably deserved that. 

* * *

My feet trudged forward up to my apartment, exhaustion settled into my limbs like I decided to power lift, run a marathon. However seeing as it was neither of those scenarios It was weird, it was work, and work most certainly didn't feel _that_ exhausting. 

Don't get me wrong, finding out one of your favorite anime characters come to life was absolutely mind blowing and all, but the situation itself had been so mentally tiring. Who could say they got to play charades with an anime character? Learn another language _instantly,_ let alone sign a _summoning contact._

Honestly it was something better than I had ever could have dreamed up. 

Wait, I wasn't sleeping right now was I? Oh no, this wasn't one of those tropes where after a riveting and exciting adventure, the main character wakes up and it was all a dream? I sure as fuck hoped it wasn't. It was almost as bad as those fade to black tropes. 

A crude snort made it way past my lips, and you know, just to be _positive._ I raised a hand and proceeded none too gently to slap my hand across my face. My face burned instantly, and I yelped sadly. 

No, I was most certainly lucid. 

And now in even more discomfort.

_Great._

"I'm home!" I called out to my empty home, sliding my heavy bag from my shoulders. The straps brushed against my wrist, I hissed in discomfort at the sensation. See? I had all but forgotten about the tattoo with everything else going on. Raising a hand to gently massage the bruised and tender skin, I couldn't help but be surprised the marks still colored my flesh. 

After the mildly embarrassing exchange between my relief and the charge nurse, I had thought ligature marks would have faded too. 

Because honestly, how the hell does someone disappear entirely, and leave no trace whatsoever? I get that he wasn't _supposed_ to even be here in the first place.

But, I digress...

The multiverse theory being confirmed though was absolutely delightful, maybe Aizawa would come visit her next. Isekai into the Haikyuu verse? Be a hero for fun? The possibilities were endless. 

Multiverse aside, it didn't explain how the people that had interacted with Jiraiya previously, had not remembered having seen him at all. 

It was like his very presence had vanished entirely, and for some reason it churned something dark in my belly that didn't sit well for me. 

I couldn't put my finger on why exactly. 

" _Boof!"_ The sounds of nails striking on a wooden floor as claws sought traction, was the only warning I got as a dark brown blur pounced on me. 

"Heyo Bean! didya miss me?" I gave soft scratches across his large blocky head. The bull terrier snorted happily against my palm, whip like tail swaying happily. 

Despite my inability to form any kind of bonds with other humans, I found solace within my canine companion. Bean gave soft whines as he proceeded to do zoomies across the flat, expressing just how excited he was to have me back home. 

"I guess you do huh?" I grasped his harness and lead, the terrier stopped and tilted his head knowingly at the sounds. Despite being so tired, I couldn't rest yet, it wasn't time for that. 

With a slow inhale, and a perhaps over exaggerated exhale, pushing all the stress, exhaustion, and lingering questions I had about today out of my body. 

A sort of serene feeling had washed over me and I felt absolutely refreshed, like I had downed a huge caffeinated beverage. 

It felt rejuvenating, and even if it was only temporary, it would have to do because I had a happy puppy waiting to go on an adventure. 

"Do you…" dark brown, nearly black ears perked up. "Wanna go for a-?" I was promptly tackled by seventy five pounds of pure muscle, I let out a pained _oof_ as I went down in a tumble of limbs and tail whips. 

Walkies it was.

* * *

I couldn't help but groan loudly, my head lolled back against plush pillows. The crook of my elbow fell against my sore eyes blocking the evening light, helping soothe the tumultuous pounding of my head. 

It had been about a week since my encounter with the perverted toad sage of Mount Myoboku, and I had taken it upon myself to brush up on my knowledge of the narutoverse. 

I definitely felt like a stalker, from rewatching the series, reading manga and even delving into narutowiki, along with perusing potential headcannons. It never hurt to evaluate any and all potential avenues, if I was going to be any sort of inside source for Jiraiya. 

A heavy sigh escaped me, the noise of irritation was echoed by the soft snort of Bean. 

It felt like a full time job beside actual work itself. 

When was I ever going to know Jiraiya loved garlic pickled with Japanese basil as well as Karaage? That Orochimaru shared the same blood type with both Jiraiya and Tsunade? Hatake clan symbol was merely a depiction of a plot of farm land? 

I have no idea? But at least it was all that and more useless information was stored within my think meat. You know, _just in case._

A tiny poof had her retching her arm away from her face to glare at the hound, who was once laying at the foot of the bed contentedly, had jumped up growling all the while looking around the room curiously.

"Bean? Seriously did you just-?" The sound of someone clearing their throat had my head whipping to peer over the edge of the bed. 

"K-kosuke-san?" Before me sat a tiny red toad wearing goggles, glaring at me as if my mere existence had been the biggest inconvenience, ever. 

"You do know who I am Summoner, good." The toad quipped, his wide mouth open and he procured a scroll from his stomach and threw it directly at my face. It connected with a satisfying _thunk_ that forced me off the bed crashing onto the floor. 

I whimpered sadly rubbing the goose egg on my head, what had I done wrong to deserve this? A sharp bark drew my attention to Bean who was now holding the scroll between his jaw like he was the bested boy ever. 

I cooed- _wait a goddamn minute since when do I coo?_ -happily letting him know he absolutely was the _bestest_. 

His tail thumped happily.

I made grabby hands to the scroll and he dutifully trotted closer to drop it in my awaiting hand in exchange for chest scratches. 

"Jiraiya wanted an update to how you were doing, Shima and Fukusaku are curious as well." Grasping the scroll, and gingerly opening it I couldn't help but feel some sort of nostalgia? I didn't have a name for this feeling but it made me so giddy because _this was an authentic anime scroll~_

A finger slipped beneath the flap of the scroll and I rolled it open, my eyes warily traced over Kanji. That jutsu that Jiariya had used on me was bananas, because now I could not only speak but _read_ a foreign language too. 

"Er-" she turned her attention back to the toad, who had relocated himself on top of my desk within the room, and safely out of curious puppy investigation range. "Thank you for taking the time to bring this, I'll get started on a reply." I shuffled toward said desk, pulling out pens for the response. 

Kosuke merely huffed looking around curiously. 

"It wasn't too hard to get here was it?" I asked looking up at the tiny toad before putting pen to paper. 

"It took more chakra than a usual summoning would." The toad began begrudgingly. I nodded my head to show I was listening to the toad. 

"My apologies for that, I'm sure if I was able to summon you wouldn't have had that issue." I trailed off, my brows furrowed. "Is there anything I could get you for your troubles?" 

Kosuke looked pensive, before hesitantly nodded his head. 

"I'm actually kinda hungry, what kinda grub you got around here?" 

"Is there anything in particular you have a taste for." Kosuke gave her a mildly annoyed look.

"I am a toad." He said blithely. "I eat bugs." 

"Right…" I bit my lip in thought, where the hell does one get bugs from? A quick glance at the time indicated that most stores would be closing soon. "Oh!" I exclaimed standing abruptly. 

It's not often that her _weird_ nature had garnered any sort of benefits. But it seemed this time, there was something good to come from it. Somewhere along the line I had gotten into a pretty heated debate of certain insects that could be eaten with a coworker. 

Insect were a great source of protein, and my coworker had been absolutely disgusted with that tiny tidbit of information, and thought it meant I solely enjoyed munching on critters. 

You fall asleep watching some documentary and suddenly everybody's a goddamn _critic._

Whenever I worked with this particular coworker, they were kind enough to leave flavor blasted insects and even insects coated lollipops in my lunch box. 

"I... I might have something, I'm not sure if you'll like it." I moved to stand, and suddenly found my head occupied by tiny toad. My hands moved instinctively to balance the toad, but I could feel _something_ , chakra maybe? Attaching him firmly to my head. "By the way, this is a coffee and energy drink house, I don't have any tea here- aside from sweet tea, sorry about that." I shuffled through the tiny apartment and into the kitchen.

"What's coffee or this energy drink? You drink tea that's sweet?" Kosuke questioned, seeming a lot more subdued than his snarky arrival. 

"Drinks imbued with caffeine." I answered unconsciously, rifling through cabinets looking for the stash, _I know it's around here, somewhere._

Ah ha!

Snatching a tray from a lost cupboard and holding up the tray filled with a variety of bags and boxed full of insects, like it was a lost treasure. Kosuke made some sort of confused noise. 

"This is all persevered food, it's probably not going to be as nice as a live meal." I shrugged my shoulders, setting the tray down on the counter. The toad immediately hopped down to begin investigating the colorful treats. "This is all yours if you'd like it." 

"What's this one?" He pointed a red toe bean toward a bag of crickets. 

"These are Chili lime crickets, want to give them a try?" Kosuke gave a wary nod. I didn't hesitate to open the bag for him and dump a few onto a tiny bowl. He approached and gave a hesitant sniff, his tongue darted out to catch a few of the crickets before it disappeared into his mouth. 

I watched his soul ascend from his body, his eyes widened as he chewed. 

"Is it ok?" I asked with a smirk. "Don't fill up on just those, we've got other things you might like to try too." I poked warily at a tin containing a tarantula.

"It was decent…" Kosuke trailed off, eyeing the remaining crickets in the bowl hungrily. "What else you got here?" He payed through the pile, looking for something else to catch his interest. "What is this?" 

"Oh, that's a chocolate covered scorpion, do you want me to-?" I extended my arms to open it for him, he quickly moved the box so it was tucked against his chest. 

"That's not necessary, don't you have a scroll to finish?" I had to bite my lip to keep from snorting at his abrupt possessive behavior of the insects. 

"You're right, I'll leave you too it, let me know if you need anything."

At the time, if I had known this would lead me down the road in which I became a weekly bug dealer for the toads. I would have never offered the freeze dried crickets for Kosuke in the first place. 

* * *

Sakumo Hatake warily eyes the white haired sage in front of him, the man looked like he personally had offended him and was fully prepared to rectify it. 

If the tiny wisps of KI floating around the man were any indication. 

"Jiraiya? Are you doing okay?" Squinting at the man who folded his arms across his chest like a pouting child.

He had just come back from being MIA in Ame, while he was relieved his fellow ninja had actually returned from war unharmed, he was no stranger to the glares the man had been sending when their paths had crossed.

Sakumo's keen ears picked up muttering of the man which included words like ' _silver haired bastards'_ and _'dimples'_ or the occasional _'Ma and Pa's new daughter'_ followed by _'second favorite'._

He was unsure of what to make of the mans rumbling but he was entirely sure he didn't want the answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was just something fun that I wanted to do, its incredibly minor but it does contain bits and pieces of plot. No worries, we hop right into the excitement on the next one.


	4. Mount Myoboku

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A toad comes home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not proud how rocky this feels, I don't know if I'm being hypercritic because I've read this so much. But let me preface this with the first part is more of a shifting POV.

Over the course of a couple months changes began taking place, a person I had met once or twice not remembering meeting me at all. My once coworkers asking if there was something I could help them with when I walked into the floor. The hospital had no record that I had ever worked there and was promptly removed from the premises. 

My parents not recognizing me, was the one that hurt the most. They had no idea who I was or why I joined them for their outdoor party, but kindly asked me to leave. 

_My parents didn't recognize me, their own daughter._

The dull ache that settled into my bones slowly became completely agonizing bordering immobility that I would have swore that I had suddenly developed Arthritis, or some kind of Fibromyalgia. 

Everything I did just _hurt_ and I had no idea why or how to stop it. 

But, I did know. Just like the day Jiraiya left, it was as if he had never existed in the first place. Slowly, the same thing was happening to me.

_It was suffocating._

A soft whine, a cold nose nudged softly at my hand. Bean gave a soft _boof_ , nudging his blocky head beneath my hand. My hand began carding through soft fur as I attempted to ignore the lingering pain coursing through my body. 

The toads were incredibly concerned, It seemed my pension for channeling nature chakra was my only solace during this time, it helped to ease the strain on my muscles but it was mentally exhausting focusing on it all the time.

_Do you know how hard it was to concentrate while experiencing debilitating pain?_

The soft whirls and flicks of Fukasaku's Fuinjutsu brush trailing the cold ink against my feverish skin. 

Concentrating on the strokes was an excellent distraction from the pain, the soothing quality of the chakra infused ink was an added bonus.

The toads had barred my use of chakra while they worked with their infused chakra against my hypersensitive flesh. 

All I could focus on was breathing, petting soft fur, and not taking a breath too deep that would send ragged coughs tearing through my body. Shima patted my hair soothingly, murmuring words of encouragement into my ears.

"You are doing excellent Ophelia girl, Pa is almost finished." A coo of comfort vibrating lowly in her throat. "Jiraiya Boy, and that Gaki of his said this would work." I was afraid to open my mouth, if I tried to speak I was positive all that would come out would be screams.

A pained whine of acknowledgement was all I could offer in response. Fukasaku's amphibious hand came to a stop as the sealing array finished between the valley of her breasts over her heart. 

"It is finished." The older green toad croaked, his disheveled wisps hair seemed to be more mussed than usual in his concentration. "Are you ready Ophelia girl?" shuddering breaths wracked my body.

I was ready not to be in any more pain, the pain had been persistent for months and I couldn't handle it anymore.

Each breath filled my lungs with tiny pinpoint pricks of pain, each twitch of a muscle felt like molten lava being poured over my body.

 _painpainpainburningburning_ **numb**

Black danced around the edge of my vision, my body felt like it was being twisted inside out. The feeling abruptly abated and settled into cold licking at my fingers trailing up my limbs to settle something heavy in my chest, words failed to form as I tried to cry out in shock at the sensory overload.

It felt like someone had dumped ice directly into my veins

 _Ithurtssomuchpleasepleaseplease_ **stop**

The black spots that danced along my vision seemed to solidify my sight had failed me, voices called out to me but it felt like cotton stuffing filled my ears and I couldn't understand.

A hand, broad and familiar cradled my neck and sharp pinch and my mind succumbed to the same darkness. 

* * *

Jiraiya stared helplessly at the broad scroll before him, ever so slowly the Fuinjutsu that was being inked into Ophelia's skin, was being reciprocated onto the scroll before him, he forced himself to be fascinated as the ink magically appeared.

He knew Fukasaku was more than capable of properly completing the sealing array, but it didn't help settle his mind in the least. 

The letter exchanged over the past two years for Jiraiya had been rather innocuous at first, a simple exchange of information between two parties that the toads were more than happy to deliver.

He had taken his team in Ame, just like she had said. He had a student with the rinnegan eye like the toad sage predicted the second shinobi war was winding down to a close and while tensions were undoubtedly high and skirmishes still broke out around borders of countries it was much quieter than it had been. 

It seems the Great toad sage of Mount Myoboku had caused quite a stir of shinobi nations when he first went MIA; pointing the fingers at one another essentially saying ' _it wasn't me, they did it'_ Iwa would blame Suna and Ame, Suna would blame Kumo and to be honest Kumo never actually denied any direct involvement.

Me thinks they wanted the credit for taking out one of the Densetsu no Sannin. 

The point is, a lot has seriously changed in the two years since Jiraiya's adventure to an alternate dimension. He watched Shimura like a hawk, brief conversations with Sarutobi-sensei led him to believe he was already aware of the misdeeds of Ne and were already disbanded. 

He didn't press the conversation further, his Hokage wasn't pleased the conversation had even been broached. 

Danzo Shimura was a war hero with Konoha's best interests after all; so it should come to no surprise that tiny toads that now lurked in the shadows of Konoha and he would know when Danzo decided to move _when_ he did. 

He was rightly irritated when Nawaki Senju's first missions running along outposts within fire country had been sabotaged; ordered by the warhawk’s puppets to have the surrounding forests to be rigged to the T with explosive tags. A hit to no doubt to remove the remaining Senju heir, and said heir on a path of Hokage.

The toad lurking in the shadows of root made off with the official scroll signed by Shimura himself after the order was given. 

Jiraiya had never moved so fast in his life to inform Nawaki's newly minted Jonin sensei Orochimaru via summons of what exactly was planned. 

Orochimaru and his little hatchlings immediately vacated the forests surrounding Konoha, choosing to remain near the outposts until further scouting could be completed.

The Sannin were going to take down root, they were damn sure going to take it down properly and entirely so it _stayed_ that way; they were no Nara by any means but three heads were better than one and this was entirely personal. 

What they might be doing could entirely be considered treasonous, knowingly withholding information from their Hokage. But, if their Hokage wasn't going to do anything about it despite having knowledge of his misgivings, it would have to be rectified with ample proof that he couldn't be biased toward his own teammate could he?

The Densetsu no Sannin were war heroes and they were not going to allow blighted roots to be allowed to poison their home. 

Orochimaru himself had never been more happy than to be a teacher, to have students look up to him the way Nawaki, Mebuki, and Kizashi did. 

This was all very personal for him now. 

Orochimaru himself had clawed his way up out of the orphanage; studied, in research and development that rivaled the medical knowledge of Tsunade. 

To be where he is today, to finally achieve a moniker of Densetsu no Sannin from the war and finally recognition for all of his hard work with cures and solutions to ailments?

 _To have a man in the shadows of his home attempt to rip it all away from him?_

Unacceptable, unfathomable, and unforgivable. Orochimaru personally would make Shimura Danzo food for his snakes.

Or, maybe not. He'd hate to give them that kind of Indigestion. 

Murder was the only solace to his spirialing thoughts, because if he would have lost his green behind the ears gennin team- _no_ he refuses to thinks of the depths he would have sunk in his despair and loneliness. 

_How far he might have fallen if he failed to protect his little team._

The first part of their plan was to go along with Shimura Danzo’s plan, they removed Nawaki and his team from the playing field squirreling them away to safety and into hiding and trigger the blast, making Orochimaru's entire gennin team KIA. 

A blast so strong and so powerful that there were no bodies to be discovered. 

Orochimaru didn't have to pretend too hard to put on a front of grieving and blatant apathy. 

When Jiraiya had initially sat his teammates down when he got home, from his little month of vacation. To explain what actually happened to him, Orochimaru couldn't help but be completely intrigued and incredibly exasperated.

Only his completely idiotic teammate _would_ forge a seal in the midst of battle and use said seal _wrong_. The fact Jiraiya ended up somewhere that chakra didn't exist- the thought itself was horrifying.

_How did such a place even exist, no chakra whatsoever? How fascinating._

When further explained that the place was like a barren wasteland sucking up Jiraiya's chakra as fast as the man could produce it and he could have potentially ended up gone for even longer. 

So no, after having to contend with the thought that he very well may have lost his teammate and his newly minted genin team?

He didn't have to try hard to put on his front of grieving and mourning, because he had almost lost them all. They were all imbeciles and had it not been for Orochimaru himself, who else would there be to guide them when they were acting like fools? 

Someone had to make sure they didn't get themselves killed. 

Orochimaru stewed in his _feelings_ they were contrite and foreign to him and he would absolutely never admit anything about his feelings and misgivings aloud to anyone who actually asked him; but, he would most certainly feed Danzo Shimura to Manda. 

Tsunade on the other hand was a different story altogether, Jiraiya's blonde and beautiful teammate had no reservations about punching him through half the forest when he first got back from his leave of absence.

In the midst of their discussion of Jiraiya’s impromptu vacation, he was very skeptical to admit his savior via emergency chakra transfusion turned into spy informant who regaled what she knew of Konoha’s blighted roots, Tsunade's fist had glowed so brightly that Jiraiya thought she was going to punch him all the way to Konoha from where they were stationed somewhere in the bowels of Wind.

It didn’t get much better when Jiraiya and Orochimaru had to physically restrain her when Jiariya had sat them down not too much later with the mission scroll for Nawaki Senju, signed by one Danzo Shimura himself. 

The Densetsu no Sannin, three war heroes in their own right for standing the ground against Hanzo the salamander in Amegakure; were the only ones seemingly able to take down the elderly war hero who poisoned their homes roots, and their own teacher. 

Shimura Danzo, was a greedy bastard; the fact he was running a covert black ops organization in the shadows of Konoha after the Sandiame forbade him was clearly a sign that he wanted something. It didn’t take much brainstorming to come to the realization that he wanted the hat for himself. 

So they waited, no doubt he would move again.

Slugs and Snakes had joined the Toads in the shadows of Konoha to watch the man organize and plan his deceit. All they had to do was sit back and watch, and wait. Because they had no doubt that this was the last they had seen of the man. 

The scroll in front of Jiraiya, glowed a brilliant golden hue as the scripture was finally completed. Shima appeared on his shoulder eyeing the completed sealing array she gave him a curt nod as his eyesight immediately sharpened with his partial sage mode activated. He wasted no time biting his thumb running his fingers through summoning technique and slamming them onto paper below pouring his chakra, and the senjutsu around him into the scroll. 

The air around them _writhed_ and _trembled_ at the power that seemed to radiate from the scroll; building and swelling until it the scroll seemed to have had its fill for the proper summons and there was a poof of smoke. Shima quickly clambered off of his shoulder into the smoke tugging a loose Haori into the smoke to cover the trembling women. Pained groans tore from the womens mouth, escalating into something akin to a scream. 

“Ophelia!” Jiraiya called out in attempts to reassure her “It worked, you are here in Mount Myoboku, you're safe now.” From where Jiraiya stood he could feel her body greedily sucking in ambient chakra from the air surrounding them. He couldn’t take his attention off of her as his teammates sat on either side of the women pouring their Chakra into her. 

“--No chakra--”

“--Organs failing--”

“--heart under duress--”

“--extreme muscle atrophy--”

As the smoke continued to clear he got a look at exactly what her signing the summoning contract with the toads and hopping dimensions and alternate universes had done. She was biting her lip to prevent herself from crying out, her lips themselves had taken on bluish purple tint.

Of the most noticeable changed her hair, once the color of warmed chocolate was stark white as his own.

_How?_

Her once tanned and peachy colored skin had taken on such an unhealthy pallor that it was tinged green, making the dark tattoos against her skin seemed to stand out that much more. The entirety of her left leg was covered in ink, the most notable was the image of the Sannin standing united painted elegantly across the limb, standing proudly atop their battle summons staring down and enraged Hanzo.

It was the very scene that Ophelia had said she seen from Jiraiya's head, and it very much looked like it was plucked from his thoughts and pasted directly onto her limb.

If this wasn’t such a dire situation, he would feel incredibly flattered. 

“-incredibly fascinating that her body started to create a chakra network.” His head snapped to Orochimaru. Tsunade bobbed her head alongside her fellow teammate. 

“Started to _what_?" He gaped at the scientist and the medic respectably. 

“Orochimaru is right, it seems like her body is attempting to manifest a chakra network, it appears to be in its infancy; typical to the type of chakra network i’d see in a six month old baby.” 

“When I last saw her she most certainly didn’t have chakra of any kind whatsoever.” Jiraiya folded his arms across his chest, Orochimaru hummed contemplatively. 

“Do you have the letters you exchanged that we could look over? It might give us more information.” Jiraiya proffered the suggested scrolls handing them over wordlessly to the androgenous man. 

“She will be unconscious for a while, the strain her body underwent was extensive.” Tsunade huffed from the women's side. Maneuvering Ophelia's unconscious body on top of the futon and adjusting the blankets over her. “She is incredibly lucky she was able to manifest some type of senjutsu, it was the only thing that seemed to be keeping her alive.” She scoffed softly. “How she was able to do that at all is a mystery in itself.” 

“Jiraiya.” He turned his head to his male teammate. “How often were you able to send messages to her?” Jiraiya's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. 

“Once a month when I was able to why?” The white haired man answered promptly, while the dark haired snake man just seemed to hum to himself again. 

“She dated all of her letters to you.” He said succinctly “They are each dated over a weekly period leading up to six months.” Jiraiya paled rapidly. 

“But- I don’t understand, It’s been 2 years, that doesn’t make any sense.” 

“Hmm, it does however correlate with the fact that you were missing for a month here, and only with her for 5 days.” Orochimaru murmured to himself, Jiraiya blanched openly, at the discovery. 

_Oh my god._

Tsunade slammed her hand against her forehead growling threateningly. “Fucking time space seals, I need a drink.” She strode away deeper into the makeshift house in the summon realm to procure said drink. 

* * *

The first thing my mind registered, is that I wasn’t in agonizing discomfort that had seemed to haunt me for months. However, bone deep exhaustion still seemed to linger. 

It was incredibly uncomfortable but, much more manageable than the excruciating fiery lava pain that seemed to radiate from every part of my body. 

Something new, something foreign that most certainly wasn't there previously thrummed right beneath my skin, humming quietly. It numbed the pain like a menthol, tasting something like mint on my own tongue. 

“Ophelia girl? Are you awake?” A soft feminine voice asked me.

“Shima?” I croaked uselessly; a straw settled against my lips, I sucked in instinctively. The cool water did wonders on my raw throat, and exhausted body. The feminine voice hushed me softly.

“Don’t talk yet Ophelia girl, drink up you have been asleep for a couple days.” Her voice chirped, followed by a faint cooing sound she resonated low in her throat. It was comforting and I relaxed the muscles that I hadn't even realized were tensing up.

“Jiraiya boy and his teammates helped get you situated.” She cooed at me again. “Pa left to retrieve Jiraiya, he should be here soon.” I groaned at her in response. 

My limbs felt like lead, and my eyes so heavy they refused to open on their own. Struggling to get my body to obey such mundane tasks was exhausting. 

Why was it so hard to simply open my eyes? 

"Stop struggling, you have severe muscle atrophy." Another female voice snapped at me. If it was physically possible I would have jumped out of my own skin, the thrumming beneath my skin seemed to flare in response to her scaring me, curling around my body protectively like a second skin. "My name is Senju Tsunade, Jiraiya has told us a lot about you." 

"G-good t-things, ye-ah?" Kami, my throat sounded so raw. The straw poked at my lips again, and I took another sip. 

"I'd say so, you are the reason Nawaki is still alive." She murmured quietly, affection coated her voice. 

I could have died happy right then and there. She 'tsked' me softly

"What are you crying for? Are you in any discomfort?" 

Oh, I was crying? I couldn't feel my face. 

"N-no, I'm just so happy f-for you." Shima cooed happily, the slowly familiar thrumming uncurled from around my body; reaching out instinctively to embrace Tsunade and Shima. 

It brushed against something that felt like soft velvet, but warm and happy. The other, tasted like mint and something burning like alcohol. 

There was a quick intake of breath beside me. 

"None of that, your chakra is low enough as it stands." Tsunade scolded me.

"You feel like m-mint, like m-me" 

There was a heavy exhale from Tsunade.

"What you are feeling is called medical chakra. Orochimaru and I pumped you full of it at the beginning of the week." A cold hand placed itself on my forehead, the cool mint seeped into my body. I sighed happily at the sensation. 

It was like walking into an industrial fridge on an incredibly hot day, medical chakra was the bee's knees. 

"Until your body starts producing its own chakra, you'll feel minty."

"My own chakra?" I was pleased as punch when my voice didn't crack when I spoke that time. "I get chakra?" 

"Well, that's the theory right now as to why you have been in so much pain previously. Your body was stealing the nutrients from your organs in an attempt to make a chakra network." 

The sound of faint footfalls approaching halted my train of thoughts. 

"How is Ophelia girl? Is Ma and Tsunade girl taking good care of you?" The tiny sounds of his foot falls continued until they stopped right beside my head, he gave a soft crowning that resonated with his wife's cooing. 

I wish I could open my eyes and look at them, my eyelids refused to obey me. I settled for wrapping my chakra around Pa toad in response. 

"I'm okay, I'm not in nearly as much pain as I was in." This discomfort was easily manageable. "S'nice and minty." Tsunade retracted her head from my head, while Ma and Pa's chakra reciprocated to my chakra hug and enveloped me, I may have sighed in content, my own version of a coo sounding in my chest. 

It was fucking nicer than an actual hug okay? it felt _warmsafesecure_ and if this is what chakra was like then I'd be chakra hugging everyone. 

"I knew I was second favorite." A male voice grumbled from across the room. I jolted, muscles pulled and I could feel my chakra jump. 

I should have expect Jiraiya to come in with Fukasaku, fucking silent ninjas man. I whined pitifully in attempts to relax the muscles that just attempted to leap from my skin. 

"Jiraiya." Tsunade said my lowly, her voice promising pain. "If you are going to bother my patient you can just leave now." There was a male chuckle from somewhere in the room. 

"I believe you mean _our_ patient Tsunade-chan." A smooth tenor spoke, it sounded like it was coming closer.

"My name is Orochimaru. Are you experiencing any discomfort?" I couldn't help the sharp intake of breath, and the instinctual flinch at the mans introduction.

This Orochimaru, is _not_ the same one I spent years watching. I'm not sure exactly what happened that Dan and Nawaki were able to be saved-- but, hopefully Orochimaru would never be that man now. 

I guess I couldn't die happy yet, the bastard Danzo had to die first.

"Ophelia? Did I scare you as well?" The smooth voice asked. I could feel my lips curl upwards into a soft smile, turning my head marginally toward Orochimaru. 

"No, you didn't. I'm sorry, I was just contemplating murder." I could feel my shoulders dance upwards in an attempt to shrug, my chakra reached out to brush against his in reassurance that he didn't startle me. 

Jiraiya that bastard just laughed at me. I could feel the flicker of amusement from Orochimaru's chakra as he reciprocated the gesture, and a long suffering sigh from Tsunade.

"Ophelia! I told you to stop messing with your chakra!" The blond snapped at me.

"It's just something instinctual, I can't help it." I whimpered. "It hurts to move and I can't see so, I don't know how to describe it- its like the chakra is acting like a extra limb; or atleast and extra set of eyes." 

There was a beat of silence.

Another heavy hand rested on my head; soft cool chakra reminiscent of scales and gentle breeze seeped into my body. 

"Your body has started to produce the proper hormones and vitamins for muscle growth." Orochimaru said, this must be his chakra then. "You will need extensive physical therapy to be able to function normally again- with the new addition of chakra to your body perhaps it won't be as long. You are healing like a shinobi instead of a civilian." 

What did that even mean? 

My confusion must have shown on my face because he quickly followed up with "Most civilians take extended time to heal, because they do it without the assistance of chakra." He pulled his hand and chakra away from me. "It is rather fascinating that your body is able to use chakra instinctively like this to heal itself."

"I've always been able to use chakra, I've always felt it." I said quietly, exhaustion washed over me. "Where I'm from the world only has nature chakra, everything was filled with nature chakra. It's what I know." Jiraiya hummed in agreement. 

"She has said before I came back that, while her home had chakra it wasn't anywhere near as strong as here was."

"Ah, I wonder if our chakra is over stimulating for her then." Tsunade pursued her lips in question. 

"It makes sense why It didn't feel like it was enough for you, coming from a place that it filled to the brim with chakra- then going to a place with a weaker form of chakra must have been hard for your body to maintain its constant supply of chakra." Orochimaru theorized. "We will have to watch Ophelia closely to make sure the over stimulation of our chakra doesn't have any adverse reactions to your chakra network growth." Tsunade grunted in agreement. 

This entire situation was over stimulating. How could it be possible for me to _grow_ a new bodily system, for it to function cohesively-

"How does one suddenly develop a secondary circulatory system?" It's honestly no wonder I nearly died. 

"It most certainly took its toll on your body." Tsunade murmured, I could hear her voice getting closer to me. "Your Cortisol level was off the charts, your parasympathetic system was sent into overdrive; in layman terms you have lost too much weight to be considered healthy, the stress of your body caused you to loose the pigmentation of your hair. I can only imagine the symptoms that will present themselves later in your life from this." I could feel my nose scrunch immediately in distaste at her words. 

"During the last month it hurt too much to move, I rarely left my bed; let alone my house." Or even to eat, such mundane everyday tasks seem like such a chore. "Extensive physical therapy you say? Great, I can't wait!" Kami, this was all going to be such a pain in the ass. 

Did my newly grown chakra system mean I had to become a Shinobi? I mean, in all honesty it would be awesome to be able to walk up and down walls. 

Heights would definitely be an issue, so would killing things. Would I be required to kill anything? I sure hoped not, I'd like to save all of the things please and thank you.

Except Danzo, fuck Danzo. Maybe I could talk Orochimaru into having one of his snakes eat the man. 

There was a sneeze from somewhere in the house. 

Wait, was I too old to try to be a ninja? I was 22, most shinobi and kunoichi would be lucky to reach their 20's, and here I was wondering if I even had a chance. 

…

Who am I kidding, I'd get my ass handed to me by a bunch of 12 year olds. 

_Fuck, I'm so screwed._

"That's the spirit! Let's get started!" Jiraiya chirped happily, clapping his hands in resolution.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we have it folks, the Isekai has transpired, and now were home. Whatcha think? I know I move pretty fast, but there are certain qualities of a story that are an absolute drag to write. 
> 
> Honestly, I just wanted an opportunity to write my dog into the story, it just so happens I made it work, and I can't wait for it all to come together *nervous cackles*


	5. Malachite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toads like to tease their female summoner, the Sannin get called into action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo! Welcome back, I hope y'all remember to drink water! ✧ﾟ･: *ヽ(◕ヮ◕ヽ)

The first week spent in my new home was spent fading in and out of consciousness, Tsunade and Orochimaru pumping me full of their medical chakra. 

Apparently some of my bodily systems hadn't acclimated as smoothly as they hoped, and was forced to meet with the both of them daily to ensure everything was working as intended. 

It was a nice sort of routine while it lasted, Tsunade and I had no issues delving to conversations ranging from errant girl talk- which lead me to believe it was something she didn't get to do very often; to medical discussions that the both of us would slowly drag Orochimaru into- much to Jiraiya's despair that he would beg us to _'please stop talking.'_

It was also the first time I got to witness the great Senju Tsunade's strength as she punted the man through the wall of the house. 

I had such a lady boner, and stars in my eyes. Orochimaru, the bastard he was, just laughed at me or Jiraiya's misfortune.

"You are very lucky you have Dan, or I would be very tempted to seduce you with my astute wiles." I made a show to her of exactly how I planned on seducing her by running my fingers through long snow white hair, and rolling my studded tongue across my lips. 

"You are lucky you are in no condition to be punched, or else you'd be joining Jiraiya!" She barked at me, face burning scarlett. 

I huffed a laugh at her, winking resolutely. Orochimaru flicked my forehead, glaring at me.

"Stop antagonizing my teammates." His lip quirked upwards in a smirk "I'm afraid we aren't able to linger much longer, we have roots that need to be culled." His turn of phrase made Tsunade stiffen and Jiariya suddenly appear from the rubble. "My summoms have just retrived a scroll for the assassination for Sarutobi-sensei." 

I flinched openly at the killing intent radiating off of the Sannin. Reading and seeing how killing intent was described did nothing to prepare me for this moment. A cold sweat broke across my skin, heart lurching within my chest. Terrified, petrified, lungs felt constricted and unable to breath. 

It was only a flash of their true intent, smothered quickly once the Sannin realized how susceptible I was to KI. My own chakra seemed to tremble in anticipation beneath my skin. Tsunade placed a minty hand to my head, soothing trembling shaky muscles. 

"Kill that bastard!" My lip curled over my teeth in a snarl, I spoke firmly once I found my voice again. "Orochimaru, have Manda eat that bitch." Orochimaru's smirk turned down right sinister and his slitted eyes narrowed in anticipation. 

"We will be back when we can." Jiraiya's heavy paw rested on top of my head, he pulled a scroll from his weapon pouch and dropped a scroll in my lap. "I thought we would have some more time, but here are some things to occupy yourself in the meantime." Gripping the scroll firmly in my hand. 

"You all better come back safe too me you hear? If any of you die, I'll find a way to bring you back and kill you myself!" My fist smacked against the tatami mats in warning. I did my best to level them all with the most serious glare I could muster. 

"Us? Die?" Orochimaru scoffed "Improbable, with us together the only one who is going to be dead is Danzo." 

That's all I can hope for to be honest. A small genuine dimpled smile graced my face, and each of them disappeared in a puff of smoke leaving me alone.

My eyes settled to the scroll in my lap.

"I best get started too neh?" 

* * *

Shima and Fukusaku were absolute demons when it came to training, and they hadn't even touched on anything shinobi related yet. 

It was all strength, resistance, and stamina training. I would have never labeled myself as a couch potato, but I most certainly was no fitness guru. 

"Another lap Gaki! You are slowing down, any more and I'll get Kosuke-chan to help you with your training!" Shima's voice bellowed threateningly, squeaking in fear I urged myself to go faster, circulating my chakra through shaky legs. 

Chakra was a marvelous, marvelous thing. Albeit- myself, just learning how to use it, Shima and Fukusaku took training me personally upon themselves to see to it that I was well equipped to protect myself in the shinobi world. 

Fukusaku had laughed himself silly when I told them I had taken an interest in learning how to become a shinobi, but I was hesitant that I wanted to be responsible for the death of anything. 

Shima cooed at me for how sweet and innocent I was. 

They both told me I was incredibly naive with that line of thought, they said I'd be better off becoming a samurai for my honorable line of thinking

Shinobi were not honorable people, they were the kinds to strike first- quickly and efficiently and ask questions later. 

_'I just want to be able to protect, those I care about and defend those who are unable to do so for themselves.'_ I admitted softly. I was late coming to the shinobi lifestyle I was already outmatched by most.

I'd have to train till my hands fell off- and if we're being quite honest here, the time it took learning to walk again let alone _run_ had been a process. Shinobi training would be the equivalent to me being stuck up stream without a paddle. 

That didn't stop Shima and Fukasaku from recruiting the toads within the mountain to help out with training whenever they had a spared moment, it was a great way to acquaint myself with said toads, and a way for them to relieve stress by bossing me about. 

With the desire to learn the Shinobi arts, the elder toads had started slowly integrating shinobi training into the numerous work outs they were already drilling me in.

I discovered there were certain things that no matter how much training I had, there were no improvements; and others that I flourished in. 

Controlling chakra, being something I flourished in. Having years of experience without a chakra network, made any type of manipulation simple, effective, and none wasted using only just enough for whatever chakra was needed for a task. 

Water waking felt so freeing, when not being run ragged by the demanding toads, I would often drag myself to the nearest pond and flop myself on top of it. The gentle lulling of the water helped soothe my tired brain and body, tree walking on the other hand- with year behind me of a fear of heights it was a work in progress that physics worked differently in the naruto world, that chakra would keep me anchored to the tree despite gravities best effort. 

Why I was more comfortable laying on top of open water where one could be attacked from below- which when you lived with _toads_ they took enjoyment in doing. Instead of treetops where I could get a Birdseye view of my surroundings. 

_I don't do heights, fuck heights._

I only had to be rescued from the top of a lily pad _once_ , Gamabunta would never let me forget it either the maniacal toad cackled the entire time at my tiny trembling form. 

But I digress, fine tuning my chakra control lead me to my next skill set; Chakra sensing. 

In my defense, they were so far the _only_ things that I had going for me. My years of civilian living was heavily evident in how I carried myself, I just didn't have the mental awareness to notice the things that a trained shinobi would immediately be aware of nor the physical backing to be a good ninja at my age 

Ma and Pa suspected I could make low chunnin if I trained hard enough- but with starting so late, chakra sensing and control would be the things they focused on in our training. 

So I vowed myself to be the best goddamn sensor I could. If someone even tripped, in Ame I wanted to _know._ If Iwa decided to come knocking on Konoha's door I wanted to know before they even left their village.

I would train hard to be a sensor that rivaled Senju Tobirama.

Which led me to understand quickly why my eyes had struggled to open in the beginning. While yes, my limbs were plagued with atrophy, my eyes were not affected by said atrophy, but my body was protecting itself from the mental strain and potential sensory overload that came with such an intimate understanding of chakra sensing already. 

Apparently, my chakra sensing ability already surpassed what most shinobi were able to sense. It would be unusual for one to be as sensitive to it as I was, while others would be able to use their own to interact with another's chakra it was not as detailed as what I experienced. 

I'm fairly positive this is what Tsunade and Orochimaru had warned me about, overstimulation of my senses- because my vision _overlapped_ with my sensing ability- it didn't matter if I closed my eyes, I could easily see their aura through my eyelids.

It was like a bastardized version of the byakugan but without the seeing behind you or the seeing through people- or a really in depth sonar. 

A sonar seemed like the most accurate description I had for what I was experiencing, I myself was a fixed point, my chakra would spread out like waves in an ocean extending outwards to sweep back and relay information of my surroundings. The relay of information made it easier to distinguish between inanimate and animate objects.

So far, every toad I had been introduced to had their own color aura that represented their chakra type, that chakra type tended to correlate with a specific flavor. 

Shima and Fukusaku now made me do everything blind folded, I'm sure they tried to make it harder on me but with the oversaturation of chakra of their world it wasn't very difficult because it was _everywhere_. 

However, because it was everywhere it took a few trial runs for me to differentiate what chakra correlated with what plant, rock, or insect. 

With the things I was good at, it was far more often things I was terrible at. Like throwing kunai, or my inability to manifest Ninjutsu or Genjutsu- however proficient I was at dispelling Genjutsu. 

My reaction time was _awful;_ my guardian toads were determined this would be one of the first things they remedied and now sought to throw things at me _while blindfolded_.

Only the sweet release of death was what I sought at the end of our days of training; and the hot springs of Mount Myoboku. 

I flopped uselessly onto the ground after passing the large boulder beside my new home, breathing heavily in attempts to slow my erratic heartbeat. 

"Y-you are so mean, to me-" the whistle of metal slicing the air was the only warning of their thrown projectiles. Rolling onto my side and pushing off the ground with my forearm and knee twisting in the air, and flopping onto the ground a couple feet away from where I just was. 

Kunai and shuriken sliced into the ground where I was just laying. 

"Your reaction time is getting better, you are still terrible though." Fukusaku nodded approvingly despite his harsh words. 

"Ophelia girl, your stamina is slowly increasing as well. Take a quick break, and we will move onto Frog katas." Shima quipped, I bit into my lip to fight the urge to groan. Frog katas was just an excuse for them to beat me with a metal stick- 

"I can hear how loud you are thinking Ophelia girl, we can always double that if you'd like?" 

"No, no I love learning frog kata!" I nodded my head eagerly, giving the both of them a blinding smile from their spot ontop of Gama. Which, wasn't really a lie, I loved utilizing frog kata, in combination with my apparent natural sonar sensing ability they went hand in hand.

It was something they drilled me in, forcing me to stretch how far my sonar could reach. Sending out multiple waves or pings, was a quicker way to relay information of my surroundings because they bounced off of eacher trading information.

The first time they had suggested it, I had a migraine from the information backlash. 

"Good because right now, that's all you have going for you." I groaned in agreement. All I really was good at was sensing, my senjutsu was like riding a bike it was one of the only things that Ma and Pa taught me that I slipped into easily. I had no issues riding the bike- but when that bike turned into a motorcycle and hit turbo I struggled hard. 

I reiterate, chakra was in everything and it was a lot okay? Shaking my head, I rolled over onto my back to speak between gasps of air. 

"Have either one of you heard from Jiraiya?" It had been a few months since the Sannin had left, and it had been radio silence from Jiraiya, both toads had been reluctant to speak about the incident. 

But no one was panicking, so everything must be okay? 

"No gaki, you know Jiraiya Boy will summon us when the dust has settled." Shima murmured, "For now, we will work on getting you up to par with being able to protect yourself." I hummed in acknowledgement.

"I know, focus on chakra control, my sensing, and Senjutsu." I said quietly peeling off my blindfold to gaze up at the cerulean sky with fluffy cotton candy pink clouds. "Do you think Bunta-san would teach me Kenjutsu? Or maybe Shiro-san?" Gamabunta, and Gamashiro we're both big softies, and seemed more than willing to help me, they had always begrudgingly answered any questions I had for them. 

Gamashiro, was a shy timid pale blue toad, who genuinely seemed surprised to discover a female human that didn't shy away from the toad who was roughly the size of an SUV. He often complained about his clumsiness and airheadedness, but the double katana he wielded- he seemed to be incredibly graceful when he moved. 

Gamabunta, was the exact opposite loved to talk trash was loud and brash, he would toss swear words out like they were candy. The massive grumpy rust red toad was covered in pale pink scars, while his features were highlighted by striking blood red tattoos he also utilized a tanto he had hidden beneath his navy haori. 

"Well Ophelia girl, with your inability to throw weapons in long ranged combat-" I hissed at the tiny green toad, the _audacity_ "-it would be beneficial for you to be more equipped for close quarter combat, a tanto would be good for you." Fukasaku said succinctly Shima croaked her agreement. 

"Let's get you fed before we start senjutsu training! C'mon, chop chop!" The tiny purple toad bounded off of Gama to shoot into the house beside me. Gasping in horror I lurched off the ground into the house behind her.

"Ma! I'll make lunch for myself, I'm not made to eat bugs!" Fukasaku cackled in the background.

* * *

Days bled one into the next and I wasn't sure how much time had continued to pass as I settled more into my new lifestyle of training. 

Shima and Fukasaku were pleased with my progress thus far. 

Fukasaku had commended my efforts by gifting me armor commissioned from Mount Myoboku itself. A ceramic chestplate with thick black rope bindings with matching shin and forearm protectors. 

Shima, gifted me tiny silver bells and intricate metal clasps, the bells themselves were engraved with fuinjutsu, that gave a delayed chime to disorient attackers, with a subtle pulse of chakra they gave off low level auditory genjutsu that messed with one's balance. 

Just subtle enough that one second of faltering could be fatal. I cried a river of tears holding both toads to my chest, my chakra radiated around me mirroring my happiness, Shima cooed at me when I asked her for help to put them in my hair the first time. Portions of hair were twisted into braids, too keep them out of my face, with the bells hanging innocuously off the ends of them while other braids were adorned with metal clasps. 

Fukasaku, clambered from my grip to perch on my shoulder to pat my head like a child. 

I was totally the human female child that always wanted but never had. 

Bunta, and Shiro the ever dutiful kenjutsu sensei's, had a tanto, with a blade as black as night forged for me with a hilt woven with gray silk and matching scabbard. 

To show my appreciation for such a gift I proceeded to tackle them (which was a feat in itself because they were huge they merely grunted when my weight impacted them) and shower them with affection by hugging and placing a kiss on their cheeks. 

Gamashiro turned an interesting shade of purple, while Gamabunta threatened to eat me if I didn't release him immediately. There was no real heat behind his words but I acquiesced with a brilliant smile- and promptly demanded a spar. 

In the end I obviously stood no chance against the summons, but near the beginning held my own against the massive toads.

My Wardrobe was also something that had also changed with the time spent in the shinobi world. Desperately missing the article of clothing known as jeans...and if we're being honest leggings and oversized sweaters. To be honest, I wasn't even aware if they were a type of fabric that could be found in this world.

Collectively they gifted a slate gray battle kimono ending inches above my knee slit up the sides for ample mobility with some sort of compression shorts hidden beneath. 

The coloring faded to black toward the bottom of the kimono and ends of the sleeves; fastened securely by a navy colored obi and white cord that was partially obscured by the chest and stomach plate with a guard at the base of it for my tanto to rest on my lower back. 

Forearm protectors were secured underneath the lightly flared sleeves of the kimono, while the shin guards were fastened beneath thigh high socks were interwoven with fishnet and black geta adorning my feet. 

I may have been emulating Bunta with the navy haori, that fell mid calf with the kanji depicting Mount Myoboku on the back, and a forehead plate like Jiraiya for Oil keeping my thick white hair that billowed around my head like a halo, out of my face. 

I felt like a certified badass, the fact I could now confidently move like one was the cherry on the cake.

...okay, perhaps not entirely bad ass, but I could hold my own against civilians and tiny ninjas in training. 

But, fuck if I wasn't determined to out sensor them all! 

"Ohayo! Kosuke-san, what brings you to my humbled abode?" I called out happily to the tiny red toad racing toward me. 

"Jiraiya-san has sent a scroll for you." He tossed said scroll at my face, I scrambled to snatch the scroll from the air. "We are going to Konoha, pack this scroll." He threw another, even harder, that bastard! The scroll slapped against my forehead. "Since Konoha is even bigger and more populated, Jiraiya-san suggested your blind fold for first introductions." 

"Thank you Kosuke-san." I grumbled at him, disappearing into the house as I opened the first scroll and read through it.

 _'Sorry it took so long to reach out, the roots have been culled. The roots defense system was not anticipated and took longer than anticipated to deal with, will debrief fully in person.'_ Relief washed over me, tension I didn't even realize was there abated and it felt like I could breathe easier than I had in months. _'Tsunade, Orochimaru, and myself finally feel comfortable bringing you to Konoha. Pack your belongings in the other scroll, will reverse summon you in an hour.'_

Dissolving promptly into a puddle of happiness, fighting the urge to flail and squeal. So far, it had been months here- (not that it was a bad thing but actual people would be nice, and wow hasn't that been a real kick in the pants that I missed actual people?) and I was finally going to Konoha. 

Wait, was I allowed to live there? Me? A stranger from an alternate dimension? 

Did I need an alibi? I squinted my eyes at the paper, as if that answer would just magically appear. 

I mean, I could always claim to be a relative of Jiraiya. White hair and all. 

With all my belongings packed into the tiny scroll, I fastened it to my person above the tanto that rested at the base of my lower back. Slipping my forehead plate off to secure the black fabric of the blind fold over my eyes, tying it securely behind my head and slipping the plate back on.

Sending my chakra out in a ping to locate Ma and Pa, I bounded over the huge foliage of the mountain to their abode. 

My chakra flared excitedly and brushed against there's in a greeting, I sighed happily when theirs echoed my greeting without hesitation. 

"I finally got word from Jiraiya!" A small smile graced my face, "I guess I'm going to Konoha? Does that mean I will live there now? Will I become a Konoha shinobi-" Shima chirped happily at my childishness. 

"One question at a time Ophelia girl! Yes, you are going to Konoha, it would be good for you to be with you own species." Shima tsked my softly "You wouldn't admit it out loud, you are becoming more withdrawn and reckless in the absence of humans." I attempted to glare beneath the fabric secured to my face, and opened my mouth to argue. "That does not mean, we are getting rid of you. You have a home here Ophelia girl, if Konoha is too overwhelming for you; as a summoner you have a place amongst the toads." 

Fukasaku bobbed his tiny green head in agreement. "There is only so much us toads have answers for, and there are far too many questions you have to get answered." 

It was fairly common, for summoners to become trained in the ways of their summons. To live with them and experience their way of life. 

But, there were simply things I wasn't able to do, like manifest jutsu. Let alone anything regarding elemental jutsu. 

Me thinks it's one of the reasons I was stuck here so long, despite the numerous efforts I was unable to complete a jutsu. Sure, I could manipulate chakra so I could walk up a wall or across a pond. 

But, I couldn't even perform the summoning technique, part of me was mortified that the toads were going to break the contract with me because of it.

"Tsunade and Orochimaru would know." I said plainly, the elder toads cooed in agreement. Sensing my abrupt change in demeanor, the topic was abruptly dropped. 

"Well, we are going to see the Jiraiya gaki again, why don't we just show him the fruits of all your hard work?" Fukasaku said cheekily, despite being unable to see the exact details of his face the mirth rolled off of him as he spoke.

"Oh? What did you have in mind?" Mischievous smile bloomed on my face. Both tiny toads pounced from their spots in the room to their perch on my shoulder.

"Jiraiya boy has been slacking with his senjutsu training, let's just show him how much better you are at it." Ma and Pa cackled. Humming at them my eyes slid shut, drawing in a deep breath of the energy around me feeling tingle and vibrate as it merged with my own. 

It felt akin to being half asleep, and suddenly dunking your head in cold water. 

Or, a more accurate definition of what wielding sage mode felt like- as someone who needed glasses living life in a constant blurred state that it felt normal; until you put on said glasses on for the first time and seeing the world with such clarity that you never realized you were even missing. 

Everything sharpened with astounding transparency with active sage mode. The soft muted colors of normal sight, accenting by the soft illumination of my normal sensing ability were turned on _high_ when sage mode was active.

The main difference between the two abilities would be sage mode took moments to prepare, but once the senjutsu was gathered and melded with my own chakra, it worked as a constant relay for my surroundings. Where as the sensing ability alone without senjutsu was reliant on continuous pulsing of my chakra to relay the information of my surroundings. 

With the toads being the angels they are, helped to maintain the sudden collection of senjutsu, sighing happily, relishing in the familiar warmth of senjutsu as curled across my skin slowing filling the room we were in.

It felt like such a lie to be able to call this sage mode, I most certainly was no sage just merely someone who dabbled in senjutsu for the funzies. 

Calling shenanigans on the mysterious ways of chaka manifestation; generally only someone with massive chakra reserves and impeccable control would be able to properly wield nature chakra. 

Me thinks it was my innate understanding of chakra in the other world that allowed me the ability to use nature chakra in this one. 

I very much doubted even in my bastardized version of sage mode that I would be up to snuff with the Jiraiya or even Orochimaru's sage mode. The fact that their sage marking still lingered on this skin; Jiraiya's red tear tracts which I came to understand were indeed not tattoos, and Orochimaru's purple markings around his golden orbs, showed incredible understanding and control to be unconsciously channeling even minute traces of nature chakra. 

Of all of the times Shima and Fukasaku had drilled their toad training into my thick skull, the sleepless hours spent meditating by the oil fountain and the stone toads beside it. The elder toad had not once told me that I had sage makings of my own. 

The pale green merely shades lighter than the color of my iris, colored my eyelid. Trailing across the arches of cheeks in thick solid lines, curving down the underside of my jaw and coming up the middle of my chin just to the underside of my bottom lip. 

My version of sage mode granted me the appearance of a fierce kabuki style mask, I was in awe of it, the simplistic trailing of green across my tanned skin gave me an otherworldly appearance. 

I looked like the living embodiment of malachite.

"I know exactly how to do it, do you think Gama-san would be agreeable to help?" Looking back and forth to the toads perched on my shoulder. 

"Oh ho?" Mirth blossomed on the elder toads eyes, Fukusaku croaked with mischief. "If you are planning what I think you are, of course he will." 

"You'll steal Jiraiya boys thunder, he will mope about it for days!" Ma chirped hand clasped excitedly. "Come now, let's gather Gama-chan and be on our way." She patted the top of my head like the dutiful mode of transportation I had become. 

Fighting the urge to sigh, taking a moment to locate the wayward toad and take off toward his general direction.

"You are lucky I love the both of you." I grumped at them, Ma cooed rubbing her head against mine, while Pa the insufferable toad had the audacity to smirk. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I enjoy making all my OC/SI with white hair. Have you ever seen Malachite? It really is pretty, while writing this I kind of envisioned Bunta and Shiro like the big toad Brothers!
> 
> I know There is the OP tag selected but that won't be physically speaking. Chakra sensing, controlling, dare I say sage mode? What do you think, too much? I personally enjoy reading SI stories where the SI has atleast one or two things they're the bees knees at. 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read! (ᵔᴥᵔ)


	6. I brought you Mur... Murder! *gasp*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here we have and old monkey point of view, a silver wolf, and three war heroes dismantling an old one. 
> 
> This it, that's the chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo! It me, your unreliable narrator who had a little to much to drink tonight, and decided to do a surprise chapter?
> 
> This here, it's for you, please enjoy this thingy I thought up.
> 
> But honestly, I just broke 50 Kudos! I'm so stoked I wanted to share and early upload! ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

Sarutobi Hiruzen knew it was going to be a terrible day when he rolled out of bed that morning.

It couldn't be blamed on his wife who had managing yet again to steal all of the blankets while they slept, leaving a content Biwako happily cocooned on the far side of the bed, and he himself shivering in the brisk morning air.

He dare say it should have been a very ominous sign when he attempted to step out of bed that morning only to step on one of the various toys Asuma favored, twisting his ankle and falling to aheap on the ground with his eye still bleary with sleep. 

The professor, he the Sandiame hokage reduced to a boneless heap by a child's toy.

Perhaps it wasn't too late to write his day off completely and just trudge back into bed.

So, Hiruzen shouldn't have been surprised his day just got progressively worse from there. 

He broke his comb attempting to tame his mane of hair, staring dubiously at the cleanly split in half comb, to his gleaming forehead. He glared at the mocking shine, he wasn't _balding_ thank you very much, mullets were all the rage. 

...Okay, so maybe he was, the hokage hat just happened to cover everything anyway. 

By the time he had gotten to the Hokage tower he had hoped he left his morning misfortune at home but, it seemed to follow him onto work. His favorite smoking pipe had cracked, his eyes rolled heavenward away from the tobacco littering his desk and paperwork. 

So when his wayward gennin burst through the door that morning he should have leapt out of the window while he had the chance, he glared at the trio. The back of his neck pricked, and these three had something to do with his recent misfortune.

_He could feel it._

Hiruzen raised a delicate aged brow at them, taking a deep drag of his _new_ freshly prepared pipe. 

"If the three of you are bringing me any work you can turn around right now." He grumped at his gennin team. "Today has been a terrible day already, and I don't need the three of you making it worse." Maybe he could switch to his more _potent_ tobacco, it would certainly help calm his frayed nerves. 

His gennin team- no his Sannin team. They weren't before him as the youngsters he brought up, there were before him as the Sannin; staring him down with battle hardened expressions. Hiruzen knew immediately he wasn't going to like what they had to tell him, with a flick of his fingers his ANBU disappeared and a privacy seal bloomed to life. 

"Hokage-sama." Jiraiya clipped "Do you recall the conversation we shared after I returned from being MIA?" Hiruzen's chakra fluctuated in annoyance and irritation, for the reason of Jiraiya being MIA and the coinciding with the topic of Shimura Danzo. 

"Yes, Jiraiya-chan I do remember." Pinning him with a look, that hopefully conveyed the thin ice he was treading. 

"I told you, that one of my informants had information in regards to issues within the village." Jiraiya spoke in a clipped tone in between his teammates.

"Jiraiya-chan, I already talked to Danzo, I forbade him from operating root outside of my jurisdiction." Jiraiya gave a quick nod, his students eyes darted to Orochimaru and inclining his head briefly. Orochimaru's hand slipped into his weapons pouch to produce numerous mission scrolls, settling them lightly on his desk. 

Hiruzen eyes the unknown mission scrolls warily, then back to the Sannin. 

"What is the meaning of all of this?" He spoke stoically. 

"Sarutobi Hiruzen" Tsunade said, her voice hard and definite radiating power. "The Senju clan hereby finds Shimura Danzo guilty of treasonous acts against not only Konoha, but towards one of the clans that founded it; with the intention to eradicate potential hokage candidates." The Hokage froze in his chair, his chakra exploded at this insinuation that his close friend, his childhood rival, to be thought of committing such heinous acts. "For, ordering the death of the Senju heir Senju Nawaki." Her voice was cold, her gazed narrowed in fury. She too produced a scroll from her pouch, setting it on the table. 

He felt his mind race as a haze fell over it, only making it bits and pieces as the Sannin trio continued to speak. 

"-orchestratic attack along the border to antagonize war-"

"-stealing clan children-" 

"-killing of Orochimaru's immigrant parents so their prodigious child be loyal to only Konoha-" Tsunade pointed a manicured finger at each scroll indicating what was inside of it. 

Hiruzen inhaled sharply he could feel his eyes widen as the Sannin trudged on listing more offenses of Danzo, quickly snagging the scroll flipping it open, feeling his heart plummet. Sure enough, a decree for the young Senju's demise was ordered from the warhawk elder, he could feel his lip curl as he eyed his own signature at the bottom of the page, along with his official Hokage notary. 

Suddenly fearful of the truth the other scroll contained, he eyed them with disdain and slowly mounting fury.

"It appears Shimura Danzo, has not heeded my request for disabanding Ne." His voice was thick with emotion he could not name, his eyes dared not linger on the other scrolls his gennin team had produced, his female student ignored him barreled on. 

"-death of Sarutobi Koichi-"

"-assassination of the Sandiame Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen-"

"-death of Uchiha Kagami, retrieval of his kekkei genkai-"

Hiruzen was fairly certain that one of the scrolls had Uzushio's symbol emblazoned across the front of it, and his stomach had immediately twisted into knots at the sight of it. 

"-murder of the messenger seeking aide of Uzushio-" 

His face collapsed into his hands, he cradled his face. His white hot anger had melded into a numb sadness, his ignorance had led to the death of so many. For how long had Danzo been orchestrating behind his back? Thumbing his nose at he, the Hokage, the military dictator, and the leader of this village.

"...but, my son? He's not-?" Hiruzen snapped his head up to his students. Their eyes remained cold and appraising

"No, and neither are Nawaki-kun or Kagami-san." She snarled at him "but the hits have been ordered, and attempts have already been made." Her amber orbs glinted harshly daring him to speak. 

"It is due time for this generation to take up the mantle, and lead this village. It is due time to remove the stagnant elders who have held position for far too long in this village." He, had a feeling his students weren't only speaking about the Honorable elders, and he himself was included with that. 

Sarutobi Hiruzen has led this village for years, he has navigated the treacherous terrain of two world shinobi wars, seen population and economic growth boom since its founding. 

Perhaps it _was_ time to step back, to help raise young his family; his three lovely children and beautiful wife that didn't get the chance to see him very often because of his duty to lead and protect the village. It was due time to allow the next generation to step up and lead this village onto something better. 

Maybe one of his students would take the hat. 

Damning himself and the consequences of his actions he would be sure to take the problems he had caused with him out of the office, himself and his fellow elders into retirement preferably. 

"If Danzo, is to be dealt with." Hiruzen was proud that his voice didn't waver as he spoke of his old friend. "You know he will not come quietly." 

"Will you have him tried for his crimes, his actions against Konoha Hokage-sama?" Tsunade said with a steely voice.

"Does the Senju clan seek reparations for the crime committed against them?" 

"Attempted crimes committed against the Senju." Tsunade corrected "While yes, Danzo is responsible for the slow culling of the Senju clan, he came very close to ending the life of our Heir." The aged hokage proceeded to choke on his spit.

"So Nawaki isn't…?" _isn't dead?_

"No because of Jiraiya's informant he remains alive and for her deeds to the Senju clan we are grateful." The words she didn't speak, spoke volumes about how betrayed she felt, how he as the Hokage had been made aware of a threat the resided in his own village that he had turned a blind eye too. 

"The Senju clan, seeks the death penalty for Shimura Danzo." She bared her teeth at him, the chakra of her teammates at her side rose to the challenge of defeating the elder. 

He could feel his spine straighten as resolution fell over him. 

"Your mission, should you choose to accept it; the detaining of Shimura Danzo so he can be held to trial for his actions against the leaf." The chakra of the Sannin rolled with satisfaction, three poofs of smoke and the fluttering of leaves was the only indication that the Sannin had accepted the mission. 

He gathered the scrolls, dreading that he would have to review all of them, he dropped the wards.

"Gather the clan heads for council meeting immediately." He commanded the anbu who had materialized in the room as soon as the wards had dropped.

Sarutobi Hiruzen most certainly shouldn't have gotten out of bed that morning. 

* * *

Hatake Sakumo wasn't sure what to expect when he received the emergency symmons to the hokage. Today was one of his few days off from running messages along the outposts, the ending of the second war had yet to be finalized but the skirmishes had died down and Iwa and Kumo had retreated from their door steps. 

Sakumo had hoped to bond with his pack today, but that didn't seem like that was going to happen, he had an obligation to serve his hokage and his village, there were times he just wished he could have spent more time with his son. 

Being a single father was hard, he mourned the loss of his late wife Hatake Kaede nee Inuzuka. The woman who had been the light of his life for years, who struggled to carry Kakashi through her pregnancy and didn't survive the delivery. He did his best to raise his- _their_ son, he wasn't a perfect man but he did the best he could and it was worth every second he got to spend with his growing pup. 

Kakashi took in everything around him at a frankly astonishing pace, he learned to scoot across the floor before he could sit up properly; he was running before he could walk and he retained everything Sakumo had to teach him.

It was abundantly clear that his son was a prodigy, learning to write, albeit with child like scrawl- could manage coherent and clear speech that displayed a clear understanding beyond his years. 

Sakumo couldn't help but be proud.

He couldn't help the smile that graced his face as he watched the tiny child race through the Hatake compound with his personal summons on his heels, a black blur sped passed to nip at Kakashi's heels, peals of laughter that fell from his son.

He knew he had made an excellent choice with the recent addition with just how well the new pup was doing integrating into the pack, the previous war has not only taken its toll on shinobi, but to ninken and summons as well. 

Sakumo lost Kinoko, a belgian sheepdog who had been one of the oldest dogs in his pack, and the loss of her had been hard on not only him but to his pack as a whole. 

Training up a suitable replacement took a lot of time and effort, and so far the dogs he had tried out hadn't been good fits, but so far Mame a pit bull terrier seemed to be thriving in a pack environment. 

Aki, his main summons; a tri colored akita who was falling into the roll of summon pack leader. While Sakumo himself maintained the roll as alpha, his ninken deferred to Aki when he wasn't present. 

Sakumo's ninken had said Mame hadn't been born to the dog summons world, but showed up randomly about a week ago and had been eager to make friends with everyone. 

Sakumo was pretty sure he had never seen such defined muscle on a dog before, but Mame had definitely been up to snuff on his speed unparalleled to only previous greyhounds and whippets he had summoned. 

He was pretty sure Mame could easily keep up with him sans chakra.

"Kakashi" he called to his son, his wind swept silver was mussed in his play. "I've just received a summons to the hokage, what do you say we pay a visit to Tsume-nee-chan?" He had little doubt his son would say no. 

Hatake and Inuzuka are sister clans, while it's fair to say it didn't start out smoothly. Coming to Konoha together during the villages infancy and growing beside one another helped strengthen the bonds of both clans. Many of the Hatake had grown weary of their nomadic ways, previously a clan that hailed from the outskirts of lightning country; had decided to set down roots in the burgeoning fire country village, many of the Hatake had ended up finding mates and marrying into the Inuzuka clan to settle down with their packs and raise their pups. 

Both clans were creatures of pack, and pack looks out for pack. 

Tsume, one of his gennin- though after her field promotion due to the war, she, along with her teammates Aburame Shibi, and Hyuuga Hiashi, were officially chunnin now and had spiffy new flack jackets to prove it.

They would always be his pups though, just like he would always be their sensei neh? 

Kakashi bounded over toward Sakumo, pout evident on his partially obscured face. 

"But, Tou-san!" The boy visible wilted in front of him. 

"I know pup, I hope it doesn't take long, after all we have training to do today don't we?" His tiny pup had taken to training like a duck does to water and visibly brightened at the prospect of training. "Why don't you keep an eye on Mame for me? To make sure he's good for the pack?" The pit bull with dark fur with a white chest and a wide bull like head, who dutifully sat beside Kakashi gave a sharp bark in agreement. 

And then proceeded to lick the entire side of his sons face. 

Sakumo didn't attempt to hold back his guffawas at his sons slobbery visage, it seems he wasn't the only one amused by it. Ringo, a tibetan mastiff and by far one of his biggest summons. Arguably she was one of the most gentle, however her protective instincts a mile wide were unparalleled. Ringos brindle fur ruffled as she snorted at the pups childish display. 

Nasu, a chow chow, he was a fearsome summons who looked akin to a lion with the apricot colored mane of fur that billowed around his large frame, his ever present purple tongue lolled out of his large muzzle, huffed in amusement. 

Ringo and Nasu were incredibly intimidating summons alone based on their sizes, they were impeccable battle partners due to their viciousness to protect their pack, with speed they didn't look like they should possess.

"I think both pups are good for pack." Kabocha, a basset hound and Sakumo's best tracker and smallest ninken said as she meandered over from a patch of grass she was sunbathing in. 

"Pack" Aki harrumped bobbing his head in agreement, Mame gave a softer _boof_ waging his whip like tail lazily. 

"Can the pack stay with me while you're in the meeting Tou-san?" 

"What do you all say? Will you stay with the pups?" A sharp bark from his pack was their response. "Well then, it's settled, c'mon pup let's go see Tsume-nee-chan." Ringo appeared behind the Kakashi and snatched him up by the back of his shirt in her maw, the pup fell limp and he made no move to extract himself.

“Maa, Ringo I can walk by myself.” Kakashi did sigh heavily as they began to amble toward the Inuzuka compound. 

* * *

With the months spent with three different types of summons roaming the bowels of Konoha, it shouldn't come as a surprise when the Sannin know the layout of Danzo's lair like the back of their hand. 

Knowing that, they were going to hit Shimura Danzo quick and efficiently before he could even say 'kunai'. 

A quick nip of a snake summons on the ankle of an unsuspecting root operative, armed with enough paralytic to tranquilize Danzos summons; it's safe to say the root operatives doing patrols never saw it coming.

A tiny slug summons in the bunkers of slumbering root agents, releasing a similar airborne paralytic that ensured the root agents would stay asleep. 

To tie it all together, a Fuinjutsu master who with enough time and preparation could create a seal for any situation given. For this, he chose a chakra binding, paralyzing tag. 

There was no such thing as overkill in the shinobi world right?

Doubtful, just incredibly thorough efficiency.

No chances were going to be taken on an army of perfectly groomed ANBU level shinobi who were at the warhawks beck and call. 

Tsunade couldn't help herself kicking in the entire wall, glaring at the warhawk in the dimmed candlelit room. 

"Shimura Danzo, you are hereby under arrest for treasonous acts against Konoha." The blonde growled out cracking her fist menacing, her male teammates melded into the shadows of the room surrounding Danzo. 

"Treasonous acts?" The man spat venomously "Never have I once, acted in anyway against the interest of the betterment of Konoha." His chakra rippled like oil, thick and miasmic. 

The Sannin were not cowed by his display of bravado, killing intent rose filling the room from the trio. 

"Oh? Is that right?" Orochimaru quipped, his senjutsu markings glimmered with power stretching to cover the entirety of his occipital orbit. "Your _demanding_ of my research into human experimentation? Was for the betterment of Konoha?" He hissed dangerously, his chakra slithering in anger. "Or perhaps, was it for your own greed and desire to modify your genetics Danzo?" The warhawks said nothing, but his eyes narrowed at the insinuation.

"Please do tell Danzo, the Senju clan would very much like to be aware of why you've been slowly culling the clan." Tsunade's chakra pulsed threateningly vibrating the walls of the room they were in, just waiting to be called upon and released from her lithe form. 

"The decisions I made were not easy choices to make, they were made to be beneficial and in the best of interest to Konoha!" Danzo spat. 

"You speak, as if you were making the executive decisions like the Hokage." Jiraiya said his own sage markings thickened and trailed down over his face. "Last time we checked, Sarutobi Hiruzen is still the Hokage and your root operative failed the assassination attempts. Sorry, not sorry." He shrugged, appearing entirely nonchalant. "Honorable Elder Shimura Danzo, are we going to do this the easy way or the hard way?" Jiraiya's own chakra shuddered under his barely controlled rage. 

Shimura Danzo didn't stand a chance against three of the strongest shinobi of the village.

The Sannin were fairly positive; they heard the faint whimper of _'mommy'_ as they leapt at the man. Preceding to beat him into submission none too gently. The chakra binding, paralyzing tag Jiraiya slapped onto his person caused his muscles to seize and lock up and he hit the ground like a stone. 

* * *

Less than two hours later the council of clan head had come to a unanimous decision to find the previously honorable elder guilty of treasonous actions against Konoha; the other two elders were also found guilty of aiding and abetting Shimura Danzo's prerogative of one day becoming the Hokage. 

Uchiha Kagami, and Senju Nawaki were present to testify against Shimura and boy wasn't that just a kick in the pants to see the two people he had thought his root agents had properly _disposed_ of. 

Shimura Danzo walked into the trial alive, but he got carried out in a body bag and into the waiting and loving embrace of Manda's maw. 

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura got front row seats to the entire exchange, not only as warnings for their behavior but just how lenient their Hokage and council had been with their punishments. 

Permanent retirement from their elder position and resigning from ever being responsible for anything politically inclined again. 

Hatake Sakumo, Uchiha Kagami, and Akimichi Torifu were sworn in as the new honorable advisors. The Sannin were offered the position, but Tsunade and Dan were lead doctors and the heads of the hospital. Jiraiya had aspirations of running a large scale spy network he was incharge of startimg up and couldn't be done within the walls of Konoha. Orochimaru was the head of Research and Development working closely with the Nara, Aburame, and Uchiha. 

The Sannin didn't have time to waste on the petty squabbling of civilians. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you guys like more outside info? Like ages, and times specified? I'm so hypercrytical about this kind of stuff. 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read this! I spent hours listening to Astronaut in the ocean, by masked wolf. 
> 
> What's the song you're vibing to right meow?


	7. Pardon me, I'm going to be staying where?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jiraiya's kind of a big dumb and does a forget, Tsunade gains a drinking buddy, and fashionista Orochimaru.

Peace treaties had officially been written up between the warring nations involved in the second shinobi world war, signifying its official ending. 

While his students had refused the offer of taking the hat, they all happened to be in high positions of power already within the village. He was mildly disappointed that Hatake Sakumo had also refused the position, but had accepted a seat as honorable advisor. 

Uchiha Kagami, Hatake Sakumo, and Akimichi Torifu sat within the Hokage office going over the final bits of Shimura Danzo dirty work. 

"Saru" Kagami called, brushing his dark curls from his eyes. "Reports say that Jiraiya received the tip that led to their investigation into Danzo." Sarutobi nodded briskly.

"That's correct." Sarutobi took a deep drag from his pipe. 

"Was this a personal spy of his?" He flips through the scroll, his crimson eyes spun lazily as me memorized the content on them. "Or did the source come from within the village?" _From within root,_ was left unsaid. 

The Hokage blinked.

"Jiraiya-chan never actually told me who his informant was." The older man scratched the back of his head, he flicked his wrist, and an ANBU disappeared to retrieve the toad sage. 

"I don't think it came from within root." Sakumo said. "The Yamanaka clan have just finished combing through the last remaining Root operates, the seal that brands their tongue does not allow them talk about Danzo." The silver haired man murmured. 

Torifu hummed in agreement. "In village then, or at least an ally of the leaf." He popped a gyoza into his mouth. "Kami knows if another Hidden village had that kind of information, Konoha would be in a very different situation." 

The men were all very silent, one of them in this room was very close to getting murdered by their teammate for their kekkei genkai. 

Jiraiya chose that moment to let himself in through the window with his teammates right behind him, nodded his head in greeting to the Hokages advisors and settling his gaze on his old teacher. 

"Thank you for joining us so quickly Jiraiya-chan, I'm glad you could also join us Tsunade-hime, Orochimaru-chan." He exhaled heavily, filling the room with thick smoke. "It seems in the midst of everything, you failed to mention who your spy was that alerted you to Danzo." 

The toad sage froze in place paling rapidly, his eyes widening. Tsunade and Orochimaru raised an eyebrow at his stiff posture

"I...I forgot." The man cringed, swallowing thickly.

"Jiraiya?" Tsunade said, her eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms across her chest cocking her hip, waiting for him to finish the sentence. 

"I forgot about her, she's still there." 

"She's what?!" Tsunade snapped at the man, cracking her fist against the top of his head. Orochimaru hissed at his idiotic white haired teammate.

"You left someone with a compromised chakra system in Mount Myoboku?" Orochimaru's said frostily. The Hokage and his advisors were all very, very confused watching their exchange. "She probably has no way out of the summons realm, if she's even still alive." 

" _Jiraiya_ " his blond teammate snarled, the large white haired man whimpered jumping up holding his hands up in a placating gesture to his irate teammates.

"Okay, Okay, let's not get too testy. I'm sure she is fine."

_He hoped._

"I can send a messenger toad for her, and let her know I'm going to reverse summon her." He swallowed thickly again. "Is that okay, Hime? Teme?" 

"You're such a Baka." The snake man scoffed at him. "Only you would forget a _civilian woman_ in the summons world." 

The Hokage cleared his throat interrupting the bickering of his students, they turned to him appearing mildly startled. 

"Perhaps this is something you'd like to share with the rest of us?" Hiruzen said. The trio eyed one another, Jiraiya gave a long suffering sigh accepting the scroll and brush Orochimaru offered him.

"I'd be happy too Hokage-sama privately, of course." His advisors made motion to leave, but he held up a hand to stop them. Using his other hand he flexed his wrist dismissing his ANBU guard, and activated his privacy wards. 

"Well, go on." His Hokage saidy dryly. Jiraiya eyed Hiruzens advisors warily, before nodding resolutely.

"I never gave the entire reason why I was MIA." Jiraiya said, scratching the back of his head nervously. "I had used an unstable Fuinjutsu seal; it was hit with a stray enemy lighting jutsu." 

Those that had an understanding of what exactly that entailed in the room, flinched at the mans admission. 

"It was an untested space time seal, that became overpowered and vaulted me into a parallel dimension-" 

"You used an untested seal in the middle of war?!" His Hokage bellowed, his chakra flared. Jiraiya's teammates had no outward reaction to his admission, it must be something he had confided in them about already. 

"-that contained no chakra and was unconscious until a nurse gave me a chakra transfusion" Jiraiya finished promptly. Sarutobi Hiruzen was agape, staring at his student in shock. 

"If it was a parallel dimension, that had no chakra, then how did you receive a chakra transfusion?" Sakumo asked warily.

"How are you alive gaki?!" Kagami's hand slammed down on the desk, causing the white haired man to flinch minutely. Unnerved by Jiraiya's story Torifu seemed to inhale his food as if he himself was the one in danger. 

"The only reason I'm alive is the nurse that gave me the transfusion is adept in senjutsu." Hiruzen waved his hand halting the conversation. 

"While I'm not very happy you never brought this up after you were able to make it home, what does it have to do with your informant?" 

"Uh, well, she is my informant" Torifu dropped his onigiri, Sakumo and Kagami wore horrified expressions and Hiruzen promptly slammed his head against his desk. 

Jiraiya took their silence as an opportunity to summon Kosuke, a messenger toad. 

The tiny red toad eyed him with something akin to disdain. 

"Ah, the toads third favorite summoner." He croaked. "How nice you check in with us, Greetings from the Toads Hokage-sama." Kosuke nodded at the hokage and his advisors. 

The large white haired man squawked.

"Third?!" Jiraiya _flailed._ The toad croaked and bobbed his head.

"Right after Minato-chan, is there something you need Jiraiya-chan?"

"Oh come on! I get it, I was second favorite with Ma and Pa but now I'm third?!" Jiraiya pouted, handing the toad the two scrolls. The tiny red toad smirked "Give these to Ofiria, tell her we will reverse summon her in an hour." 

"Do you want her to wear her blind fold?" The toad asked hesitantly.

"Is she still dealing with the issues of over stimulation?" Orochimaru asked curiously, Kosuke wobbled a clawed appendage in a so-so gesture. 

"At first she did." Kosuke said, placing a webbed hand on his chin. "but with the training she had been doing with us, she turned out to be quite the sensor."

"Shima and Fukasaku are training her?" Jiraiya's voice slowly began to trail higher in disbelief. The red toad croaked.

"Yes, Along with Gamabunta and Gamashiro"

"I thought you said she was a civilian?" Hiruzen said dryly.

Kosuke laughed.

"Oh, she is. It's very evident Ofiria has had no shinobi training. She is however, incredibly dedicated and has been training nonstop since she came to Mount Myoboku." 

"This Ofiria, is the civilian that gave Jiraiya a chakra transfusion?" Hiruzen asked dubiously. 

"She is a natural sage." Kosuke nodded briskly, turning toward Tsunade and Orochimaru. "She has been having trouble manifesting jutsu." Kosuke spoke to the medic and scientist "But, has little issues controlling chakra itself."

Orochimaru scoffed, while Tsunade glare bore into the back of Jiraiya's hair, he who was decidedly looking everywhere but at his angered teammates. 

"Her chakra system is very much still in its infancy, one would assume her coils are still growing." The blond medic said.

"The chakra control is of no surprise, but her body is undoubtedly, purposefully not completing manifested jutsu because it would damage the chakra system." Orochimaru sardonically. "A defense mechanism no doubt the body has created giving the recent duress it has endured."

The toad seemed satisfied, nodding to the hokage, and his advisors and disappeared in a poof of smoke. 

"Is the reason Ofiria's chakra system is compromised is because of this recent 'duress'?" Hiruzen asked his students, who by their reactions alone were already incredibly familiar with this women. 

"Of course, living 22 years of your life without a chakra system and then spontaneously growing one." Orochimaru sneered. "Jiraiya's very lucky the Hime and I were there, it took close to a week to attempt to stabilize her chakra system alone- not to mention the damage it had done to her body in attempts grow the network." 

The Akimichi nodded sagely, they were a clan who were not strangers to the toll that the body took when it came to converting fat and muscle into chakra. 

"You mean she wasn't born with a chakra system?" Kagami asked curiously. "How was she even alive?" Chakra, in the shinobi world was in everything, it _was_ everything. To even fathom that someone could have been born without a functioning chakra network, would generally result in death.

In short, if there was no chakra, you _were_ dead. 

"Well, she wasn't by much." Tsunade had said, whose mood had sombered instantly as she recalled the damage done to her new friends body. "Orochi and I, had to pump her full of chakra because it kept fluctuating and stuttering. Clinically, she died multiple times during the week we worked on her."

The shinobi in the room understood intimately the dangers of stuttering chakra. 

Their Hokage, who seemed to have aged while he sat listening to his students regale the tale of this mysterious Ofiria, he cleared his throat, taking another drag from his pipe. 

"Well, I'm pleased to hear that your informant is doing well." Stated in hopes of steering this conversation forward once more. "Perhaps it's time to discuss how someone from an alternate timeline knew about our _root_ dilemma?" Jiraiya's teammates turned toward him as if they were now just realizing the same thing.

How did someone, for all intents and purposes; someone from another world know about Konoha and her plights.

"Well, you see here. The thing is…" Jiraiya looked thoroughly cowed and suddenly sheepish. 

* * *

Ophelia bounced happily from her spot on top of Gama-chans head patting the toad affectionately, the toad croaked happily at the attention. 

The elder toads swayed on her shoulders at the movement, but made no move to stop the girl from her incessant wiggling. It had been months since she had seen another human, and they couldn't find fault in her from being able to meld with her own again. 

Secretly, they would admit she was probably just excited to go to Konoha itself. Their ward had made mention multiple times that she wanted to see the sights of Konoha, the looming Hashirama trees surrounding the village to the faces that adorned the Hokage mountain.

In passing the strange girl made mention of something similar called Mount Rushmore, whatever that was. 

Ophelia who never had authentic ramen was eager to try something called Ichiraku ramen, it was a restaurant that another toad summoner, Namikaze Minato had admitted taking his girlfriend too. 

Shima and Fukasaku had they been anyone else who didn't know of her true origins, would think her to be an Akimichi with how passionately she talked about the various foods she had never heard of and wanted to try. 

Hint, it was _everything_. 

She was also very animated at the thought of meeting people, who were once merely animated characters in a beloved anime; who were now flesh and blood.

Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru were a testament that this was Ofiria's new reality. 

"Opheria girl, I can feel Jiraiya boy's chakra gathering. Are you ready?" The women patted her body where the scrolls were placed, she smiled brightly displaying her dimpled cheeks, they were accented by her pale green sage marks. 

"Hai!" She chirped. 

* * *

Reverse summoning was an experience I hoped I wouldn't be experiencing very often. 

It was a sudden yank on my chakra, twisting and pulling my body through _something_ and the feeling ended as abruptly as it started. 

Nothing could have prepared me for what I felt, almost instantly the world around me bloomed with different colors, tiny lights flickering and fluctuations around me. 

_There were hundreds of chakra signatures_. 

I could feel my lips part surprise inhaling sharply, each chakra signature was different, there were some that had similar feels to them, perhaps they were the chakra of those in a specific clan. But none of them could be considered identical, all unique in their own way with differing sizes, different colors, and texture? Taste? I don't know if I had the proper word to describe it but I could _feel_ how they felt different. 

It was mesmerizing watching? Feeling? Them dart around the village.

"Ofiria?" Jiraiya called out from the room, my head instinctively turning toward the sound of his voice, chakra reaching out automatically to brush against his in greeting.

The toad sage felt like warm oil against my senses, two other chakra signatures stood beside him, one felt like menthol and sake; Tsunade no doubt and the other felt like cool scales and a gentle breeze, had to be Orochimaru.

I didn't fight the happy dimpled smile that probably looked goofy on me.

There were numerous other chakra signatures in this room, across from me four sat rather close together. The biggest one, that caused the air to tremble around him felt like the warmth of a bonfire, inviting and protective but massive. 

The three surrounding the bonfire were similarly inviting. One felt like sun warmed earth, and something sweet I couldn't place. Beside that chakra sat another that felt like a flame gently flickering, the gentle flickering felt like it could swiftly transform into a raging inferno if a guess would be made it bet this was the chakra of an Uchiha. 

The last one was breathtaking to view, it was pure white- in my purview of the village I only felt a hand full of others similar to it. The white chakra crackled like lightning across a thundering sky and felt wild like wolves themself. 

I could feel my face warm as I came to the conclusion of just whose chakra signature that most likely was. It was undoubtedly Hatake in nature, and only one Hatake I was aware of who was noted for their wild nature that was similar to wolves.

_Hatake Sakumo_

"Jiraiya? It's about time you brought me here." Due to my eyes blindfolded I missed the looks the toad elders gave Jiraiya. My smile smoothed out into a smirk, "It took you long enough!" Orochimaru snickered, and I brushed my chakra along his in hello repeating the process with Tsunade. She repeated it kindly; Orochimaru the bastard, his chakra collided with mine in what felt like a flick to the forehead.

I pouted at him.

"Yes, Jiraiya. Why did it take you so long?" Tsunade blandly intoned. Jiraiya didn't reply but he did cough to clear his throat 

"Hokage-sama, and honorable advisors may I introduce Ofiria fellow toad summoner, and sage." The great bonfire chakra seemed to waver, curiously I brushed against Hiruzens in my own greeting. 

I missed the startled look he gave, but his chakra had lurched in surprise. 

"Greetings Hokage-sama, it is an utmost pleasure to meet you." I chirped, toad like cocking my head coyly. It seems my time spent with the toad had led to me not only developing marks of a toad summoner, but their mannerisms as well. 

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Jiraiya-chan has told me a lot about you." Amusement flickered through the chakras that were present. 

Somehow, I got the feeling he really _didn't._

I made a sound low in my throat expressing my doubt. 

"Did he really? Good things I hope." I croaked toad like, smiling crookedly. 

"Ah, yes, well we do have you to thank for relaying the information of Konoha's poisoned roots." The brilliant smile on my face faltered, falling blank.

At the moment Hiruzen had mentioned root, chakra from one of the ANBU stationed in the room seemed to flare _angrily_. Broiled in resignation, and soothed in- revenge? The chakra was tightly coiled, and dark.

The chakra's most prominent feature was the miasmic seal that resonated from them. Was this ANBU one of root? Why did the ANBU still carry what I assumed was one of Danzo's root seals. 

More importantly, how do I tell those I was in the room with one of their own was a stray root agent? 

The agent was at my 9 o'clock, just above the doors of the room. 

"The will of fire seems to burn bright even for those not born in Hi no Kuni." Subtly was not thy name, I hadn't been training to be a Shinobi for very long, due to the stress of coming here, _Of which I had to start by learning how to walk again._

Cut me some slack okay? 

Hand signs and covert gestures were not something Shima and Fukasaku had trained me on in my time within Mount Myoboku, I tapped my right pointer finger against my right thigh once, drawing a brief circle and tapped it once again at 9 o'clock.

The Sannin who were to the right of me caught the effort, their chakra flared briefly in what I could only assume was acknowledgment. 

"The will of fire burns brightly within you Ofiria-chan, were you hoping to pursue a Shinobi career within Konoha?" Hiruzen acquiesced, his chakra shuttered in surprise once more.

"Aren't I a bit old to be a Shinobi?" I questioned. "I don't think I could handle having my ass handed to me by a bunch of 10 year olds." Admittedly, I _probably_ could hold my own but the idea itself was just so laughable. 

It just so happens that the Hokage did laugh at me, the advisors chakra seemed to bubble in amusement- the Uchiha seemed the most amused if their chakra was anything to go by or perhaps, it might have more to do with my dejected admission of my fragile ego.

"Orochimaru-chan and Tsunade-hime have explained your dilemma to me." I could smell the heavy tobacco smell from his pipe. "Despite your late start to training, your newly formed chakra network should balance out your abilities, I for one am eager to see what you make of yourself." The warmth his voice shared led me believe he had faith in my abilities, it warmed me greatly. 

The progress already made was evident enough of that, and I was proud of how far I had come in so little time. 

"I would be honored to become a Konoha shinobi then." My chakra wrapped around the elder toads that had stood silent sentry on my shoulders, when theirs brushed against mine my smile felt infectious and I was sure my face would hurt from it later.

"Excellent, Jiraiya-chan has already offered to take on any additional tutelage you may require." The dramatic huff of air from Jiraiya seemed to argue otherwise. "It seems Tsunade-hime and Orochimaru-chan are well acquainted with you, perhaps they may be also willing to lend you a hand." It was more like they would both be all to eager to help me kick their idiotic teammates ass.

"I look forward to it Hokage-sama." I gave a shallow bow, mindful of the elder toads present on my shoulders. In a show of respect, and trust my sage markings slowly faded away. 

Okay, so it might have more to do with the huge migraine maintaining sage mode gave me. 

Information overload, it was a lot to process and understand. A soft sigh passed my lips as darkness enshrouded me mentally, I basked in the reprieve of quiet. 

Tsunade, my angel. I would fight Dan for her- pressed her fingertips to my temple and her cool minty chakra was easing the migraine significantly. 

My chakra bubbled warmly against hers in thanks. 

"If that's it then, this paperwork doesn't do itself, and I've put it off for far too long." The heavy scent of tobacco tickled my nose "My students will show you to your new living quarters." The Sannin made move to excuse themselves through the window. "Oh, Ofiria-san?" I turned back toward the Hokage and his advisors. 

"Welcome to Konoha." The smile I gave the men was blinding, slipping silently out the window to catch up to my keepers.

"Hawk" An ANBU slipped from their perch, bowing before their leader. "Please remove your mask, and show me your tongue." 

The sounds of metal scraping together and soft squelched echoed from the room as I dropped to the street below. 

* * *

"You want me to stay _where?!_ " My voice trailed higher as I asked incredulously.

"Why do you say it like that? It's not that big of a deal"

"It's the Senju compound!" I gripped Tsunade's shoulders shaking her. "One of the founding clans of Konoha, _what do you mean?!_ " The busty blonde scoffed flicking my forehead with a manicured nail, I yelped releasing her to rub my now bruised forehead and dented face plate.

"You also saved the life of our Heir."

Oh.

"It's also incredibly convenient of you to live here since the big oaf and Orochi-kun stay here sometimes." 

"...Huh, yeah, okay. That'd be the bee's knees." I thought I'd have to get on my hands and knees and beg the woman to be able to see the inside of the Senju compound.

"Can we go shopping?" Living on a mountain wasn't a place very kind to women.

"And get drunk? It's been too long since I've been drunk." 

The women sighed happily. 

"I'd be _delighted."_

* * *

Apparently, geta weren't very combat friendly. Kami knows how Jiraiya seemed to make that standard shinobi attire. 

Tsunade was quick to rectify this, dare I say far too excited to do so. Orochimaru himself also put in his two cents, and much to my bewilderment they had completely picked out a new wardrobe for myself. 

...who knew a man who liked purple rope butt bow ties could have taste in clothing.

I valued my life and didn't question what had become of it, holding the articles of clothing they threw at me and tried on what they told me too. 

"Because of her complexion she's a fall and looks better with darker colors!"

There was a hiss of denial.

"You are wrong woman, she is obviously a winter. With her hair color-" they had been arguing like this for the past fifteen minutes. 

Is this how Jiraiya feels? We were just supposed to get shinobi sandals, and suddenly we have been clothes shopping for 3 hours already. 

"Oh for the love-" my chakra pinged, snapping like a rubber band against theirs angrily "I'm fine with black, navy blue, and dark greens!" I threw my hands up in the air exasperated. 

"Tsunade since you are thinking of darker colors you take shinobi attire; Orochimaru you can choose civilian wear, I'm not going to wear pastels out in the field!" I couldn't see the look on their faces but there was a gasp of affront. 

"Have you no shame? Pastels are obviously _spring_ -" 

* * *

"So sensei needs to get a grasp on your current levels to decide what rank you would fall under." Jiraiya said from his spot on the engawa, overlooking the Senju forests. "I wouldn't be surprised if you made chunnin, but quite honestly with your sensing ability alone it could qualify you for tokubetsu jonin."

"Me? A tokujo?" How did someone with absolutely no experience in the field even qualify for special jonin? 

"We did just finish up a war." Jiraiya stated matter of fact. "There aren't that many able body sensors of your caliber, you would be wasted potential sitting at gennin."

I scowled at the man, my body hurt and ached in places I wasn't even aware of _could_ hurt with all of the physical training Fukasaku and Shima had put me through, I had yet to brawl with another human.

It had to be some kind of joke, a very slim part of me knew he was being completely honest and that's what worried me.

"Okay, so that's what worries me here, how do I qualify for Tokubetsu right now? I can understand, my sensing is 'okay' but aren't you and your brat good sensors?" I grumbled at him, it was entirely unprecedented. 

"I'm not fond of repeating myself." He leveled me with a no nonsense look, "You were able to pick out a sealed Root agent that had slipped through multiple cracks. That kind of talent cannot be wasted."

Oh, so that was a seal that I felt, if that was Shimura Danzo's chakra... I'm happy I wasn't within the walls of Konoha during his existence here. I would have undoubtedly been physically ill from how dark and tainted his chakra was. 

But really, Tokubetsu?! 

While sage mode was activated my range heralded the entirety of Konoha. If I projected it in one direction it could stretch even further, it was difficult and exhausting to maintain, It was a funny sensation feeling chakra skirting around the edge of my range. 

It turned out Chakra from other shinobi nations had different tastes to them all together, from the east yielded oceanic rating chakra, and to the west felt grit like sandpaper.

It was an incredibly peculiar feeling, and there would be times I couldn't help but flinch when a particular strong chakra flickered in and out of my range like a firecracker.

"So how are we going to do that?" Finally settled into the compound, and having forgone my blind fold got to witness the feral grin he gave me made my skin crawl and I regretted asking this immediately. 

"You are familiar with my gennin team yes?"

_Oh no._

I hated where this was going already. "Namikazi Minato, he is currently a chunnin preparing to take his jonin exams, I think it will be great opportunity!" I had to bite my lip to fight back a grimace. 

_I was going to get murdered by the fourth Hokage._

"So you said it was surprising I found those sealed Root members?" eagerly changing the subject from my soon to be murder. 

He raised a white brow at the entirely unsubtle topic change. "I take it you aren't aware of the six currently residing within Konoha then?" He stiffened beside me.

 _"What?"_ His eye twitched "What do you mean six?! How could I possibly have missed that many?" 

"Wanna go for a walk?" The giant huffed a breath at me.

"I'll send a toad for the Hokage, so he can have some ANBU assist us." He grumbled.

"This feels like a very odd game of whack-a-mole" I resigned myself to closing my eyes to help concentrate on the chakras of the root agents. 

"Do I want to know what that is?" I gave him a soft shrug.

"You wait for things to appear- in our case sealed bad guys, and we just hit them real hard, yeah?" He pursed his lips, solidly nodding once. 

"Sounds about right." 

* * *

"How long has it been since the gaki's left?" The old monkey man muttered between his fingers. There was a hearty exhalation of air beside him, along with the steady rhythmic sounds of an Akimichi grazing. 

"Four and a half hours Saru!" The bubbly Uchiha supplied "Ofiria-san sure works fast huh?!" When Kosuke had mentioned to Jiraiya that Ofiria was a sensor, none of them had quite expected this kind of proficiency. 

Four and a half hours, and not more than a half hour ago Kosuke, Jiraiya's messenger summon stopped by to let the Hokage know of the remaining sealed root associates still lingering within Konoha.

"If Tsunade-hime, and Orochimaru-san are correct about Ofiria-san's chakra system still maturing, I can only imagine the kind of sensor she will be in a couple of years." Torifu quipped between bites of food. The silver haired advisor hummed in agreement.

It took less than 20 minutes to have those six quietly rounded up and submitted to the tender and loving embrace of T&I for a Yamanaka mind walk. 

Of the six people, one of whom was a matron of the orphanage, she had aided in supplying prodigious, up and coming kiddies for Danzo. 

Another two of them happened to be on the civilian committee board, to ensure that any possible article discussed could be passed in Danzo's favor. 

Shimura Danzo had his fingers in so many pots, it was absolutely sickening. 

One was a Kurama clan leader, who sat in clan head meetings to further help uphold the mans political backing. 

The last two were traveling merchants who dealt in human trafficking, literally hand delivering stolen children across the Elemental nations. If this was something that had ever been discovered by other Hidden villages, it would no doubt re-ignite the second shinobi war. 

Sarutobi Hiruzen cradled his weary face in his hands. It didn't matter how many times he read scrolls, and mission reports, he couldn't fathom how his friend had been able to stoop so _low._

The head of intelligence, Yamanaka Inohiro who was the current Yamanaka clan head; Inohiro was the lead on the internal investigation regarding Danzo since its beginning, and had finished recounting his findings of the mind walks of the six root accomplices. 

"Thank you Inohiro-sama, keep me informed of any changes." Torifu gifted his teammate with a jaunty wave. Inohiro smiled at the gesture, nodding his head and strode from the room, privacy seals flared as soon as the man dismissed himself. 

"We have missed 6 active root associates for months." This; was quickly turning into a sore spot for the Hokage. "Fetch me Nara Shikachi" An ANBU bounded off. 

Nara Shikachi, Nara Clan head, and father to Nara Shikaku, was Hiruzen Sarutobi's best strategic planner. The man also carried around a mean silver tongue in regards to politics. 

"I sincerely hope this doesn't escalate into an international incident." Hiruzen's fingers were already cramping at the possibility of the paperwork he would have to do. 

"Do you suspect Danzo of having sleeper agents?" Sakumo asked, reading between the lines of what exactly this international incident could possibly entail. 

"It seemed like Danzo preferred his recruits younger." Torifu palmed his cat ears in thought. "Perhaps the agents were- hypothetically _if_ there is the slight possibility of recruiters stationed in other nations to watch for potential candidates." Kagami muttered unkind words under his breath. 

"Lets not get ahead of ourselves." Kagami huffed, uncharacteristically serious. "Sleeper agents or not, Shimura was a paranoid bastard who sealed all of his agents; ensuring their loyalty to Konoha." His face twisted into something sour, tapping the reports provided by the Yamanaka clan head. 

"It's not a matter of _if_ , but a matter of _when_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My favorite part of this chapter is being able to write in Orochimarus purple butt bowties. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
> 
> If it was clear, for her grand entrance she was totally gonna steal Jiraiyas, but alas ADHD happens and suddenly shinies steal one's attention. 
> 
> Also, Mount Rushmore, American Hokages? Because I feel like it should be renamed to American Hokages.


	8. I like your funny trees Mokuton man.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nawaki re-brands Ophelia.
> 
> ADHD takes hold and tiny shinies are obtained. 
> 
> Hatake Sakumo smiles, and Ophelia ascends. 
> 
> Ending with becoming the local food dealer for the Akimichi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe I've reached 100 Kudos! And over 1000 hits! You guys are amazing thank you so much! (๑>ᴗ<๑ )

The Senju compound was fucking _breathtaking_ , tall wondrous trees that bracketed the entire compound they absolutely _thrummed_ , with life. 

They felt sentient, the first time I had arrived here and brushed my own chakra against the Hashirama tree's they seemed to shutter in happiness. The creaking of tree branches seemed to dance and sway heavily in the gentle breeze.

 _It felt like the trees were welcoming me_. 

I was not at all ashamed to admit I could often be found sitting on the engawa overlooking the Senju's compound zen garden, with my chakra flaring at odd intervals in which the Hashirama tree's had no problem reciprocating in kind. 

I was very much a fan of mokuton, the tree's themselves were not only saturated in nature energy, but in what felt like Hashirama's lifeforce itself. Me thinks, that's what gave them their sentient quality. 

The tree's were just as damn bubbly as he had been portrayed as. 

"Who are you?" My chakra spiked in surprise, I had just been caught, chakra spiking like crazy, and giggling like some insane woman. Turning toward the voice, it was a young boy, with hair the shade of bark and eyes the color of liquid chocolate and a cherubic blush adorning his cheeks still padded with baby fat. 

This boy felt kin to the trees. 

"Ah! I'm sorry you had to see that!" I scratched the back of my head in embarrassment. The boy remained in his defensive position with kunai trained on my seated figure. "My name is Ofiria, you must be Nawaki-chan, Tsuna-chan has told me a lot about her otouto!" The boy blinked owlishly at the name, recognition seemed to shimmer in his chocolate eyes. 

"You are the old lady who saved my life!" I snorted out a laugh. 

"Don't let this hair fool you! I'm not that old Nawaki- _chan."_

"Oi! That's Nawaki- _kun_ to you ba-san!" 

"So that's how you repay your savior 'Waki-kun? Poke fun at a women's hair color?" My hand rested on my chest in mock offense. "I'll have you know it was all Jiraiya's fault!" The brat had the gall to laugh, I couldn't help the smile that worked its way across my face. 

"Ria-ba-san, don't blame Jiraiya-nii!" 

"You brat! I'm younger than Jiraiya!" I shook my fist at him. The young teen exploded into laughter and disappeared into the house. 

The bubbling of the chakra surrounding the trees made me huff in annoyance.

Even the goddamn tree's were laughing at me!

* * *

The Hokage had given her a few days to get situated within the Senju compound. When she wasn't sitting overlooking the Zen garden within the compound she could be found dragging along whichever Sannin she had on hand throughout the streets of Konoha. 

If you had known who this woman was prior to her time in Konoha, you wouldn't be able to recognize this woman now. Instead of the quiet, uncertain, and perhaps timid imitation of what she used to be. Ofiria had flourished, budding like the namesake of white jasmine that Nawaki had given her and promptly been picked up by all to address her.

Because what kind of name was Ophelia anyway? The citizens of fire country were hard pressed to say it properly, so Ria-san she became. 

It was ironic really, given a name that seemed to symbolize the coloring of her hair, she was almost certain this was how Haruno Sakura felt anytime she introduced herself. It never failed, whenever she would introduce herself to market stall owners _'please, just call me Ria-san!'_ Their eyes would dart from her face, to her hair, and they would snicker to themselves. 

It was endearing in all honesty, much different from the environment I grew up in, the citizens of Konoha were a frighteningly friendly bunch, completely unbothered by the ninja jumping about overhead, unphased by various weapons that flew by one's head at any given moment it was just life when you lived in a Shinobi village, and the civilians of Konoha were far too accustomed to it. 

It was everything one could ever imagine and so much more, and I had absolutely no compunction about talking to anyone and everyone that would lend me their ear. The warmth that spread through my chest anytime I'd wander through Konoha, and someone would recognize my white mane and call out in greeting, it made me feel fuzzy and I fucking loved it okay? 

"I don't understand how you can stand to be such a people person." Orochimaru grouched from beside me, the androgynous man was my designated walk about for today. I stuck to him like a stubborn burr and in all honesty was very surprised he hadn't cut my hands off given how much I grabbed his hand or his arm in excitement. 

Me thinks Tsunade is at work here, pavloved the poor boys by just how much she man handles them and totes them about the village normally, they are both just unphased at being dragged around. 

I had a sneaking suspicion he just liked being included in things so frequently by someone who didn't judge him by his looks. The first time someone had given Orochimaru a stare that seemed to linger for longer then should be polite, would get reprimanded by a flick of my chakra against theirs, and a very self deprecated glare in return. 

The yelp the obtuse looking man gave, and the light flush to Orochimaru's cheeks made it all worth it. He undoubtedly knew what I had done and merely rolled his eyes at me as we continued our mindless wandering. 

Orochimaru was a good bean, Shimura Danzo had been the one to corrupt him, and my civilian (read: gennin hopeful) ass would fight anyone who dared taint the snake man. 

"Would you believe me if I said before all of this." I waved my hand in attempts to encompass the situation of me being in Konoha, in _naruto_ as a whole. "That I wasn't? I mean, it was so hard for me to relate to anyone that I was never able to form any close bonds." The snake man scoffed at me, or the incredulous situation itself.

"No, I find it incredibly hard to believe." His golden eyes darted across the various fruits of the stall we had stilled in front of. 

"Regardless, I cannot fathom you having that issue now." His head had tipped to look at the gaggle of children who seemed so inquisitive about her hair and the trinkets adorning it. 

It was very hard to keep the smile off of my face, crouching down to be eye level with the children. Much to my surprise one rambunctious Uchiha Obito and a very shy Rin Nohara eagerly clambered forward ogle at the brilliant colored beads entwined in my hair. 

"Hey, hey, ba-chan! Why do you have all those in your hair?" Obito gestured, hands making an exaggerated gesture to the twin bells fastened to the end of a braid. 

I made a show of thinking, before letting out a contemplative sound. 

"I'll tell you, but, you have to promise you won't tell anyone okay?" I made a show of mock whispering, I was only further delighted when a familiar bowl cut covered in slightly jarring green tracksuit scooted closer to hear me. 

I held out my pinky, and the children were quick to take turns and clasp their pinkies with mine. 

"Yeah! We promise! Just tell us already!" 

"I just started my shinobi training." I started, looking away like I was embarrassed about this, which in all honesty I _was_. These little ones, no older than five, probably thought I was ancient to be just starting out. 

" _Just_ starting out?!" Obito asked incredulously. "But you're so old!" He gave a rather horrified face. 

Orochimaru the bastard began laughing behind me.

"Ah, I suppose to you I am old aren't I?" I nodded my head in understanding.

"You're not old nee-san!" A tiny Rin squeaked fidgeting with her top, her eyes darted from Obito to Ria. 

I gave a soft chuckle, adjusting hair over my shoulder so the bells rested in my palms, which chimed softly in delayed times. 

"I don't mind, my name is Ria, but you can call me Ria-ba-san if you'd like!." I gave a reassuring dimpled smile "I'm new to Konoha, I'm also new to the Shinobi lifestyle, my chakra never formed properly, so with the help of this man here." Ria jutted her hand over her shoulder to the snake man. "I get to fulfill my dream of being a shinobi!" 

"Whoa! You got one of the Sannin to help you?" Obito had stars in his eyes, as if he was noticing the man for the first time. 

"That's explains why I've never seen you around before Ria-ba-san!"

"D-does that mean you can't use chakra now?" A chubby cheeked Gai stepped forward, my eyes softened looking over him. It seemed odd, seeing him so quiet and shy compared to the boisterous man he would become one day. 

"I cannot manifest jutsu no." Ria said dejectedly, but slowly she removed a pouch from her sleeves and took out some of the brightly colored glass beads, hand crafted from one of the local Uchiha vendors. 

For some reason, when she saw the brilliant colored beads the need to acquire them became too strong to handle and forced Tsunade to buy a pouch for her. The fact that some where carved with clan symbols, the Konoha insignia, and some with Kanji. 

It was now her life mission to braid the beads into the hair of everyone and anyone she could get her hands on. 

It was just stealth training, and if Jiraiya happened to have rainbow colored glass beads strewn about his hair… Well that was none of her business.

With chakra thrumming quietly beneath her skin, she directed it toward her finger tips and coated them liberally before turning her palm side down. The tiny beads stayed nestled against her palm, the children gave a soft exclaim of surprise.

"But, that doesn't mean I won't stop trying, so you can't either okay?" Gai's eyes glittered with tears, this woman reminded him so much of his father, their drive to keep going, no matter what! 

He murmured a small, but incredibly inspiring _'youthful_ _.'_

"You betcha, I'm going to become the best shinobi ever, I'm gonna be Hokage!" Obito gave her a dazzling thumbs up and a blinding smile. 

Ria gave a delighted laugh, reaching forward to ruffle his hair. 

"You better give it your all then neh? I think you would be an excellent Hokage." Obito's eyes got wide as saucers, he gaped at her. Ria turned back toward the other children around her 

"Now listen closely, I can't use chakra like other Shinobi, but these bells help give me an advantage because it casts a genjutsu…-" 

Sometime later, after the children had departed with braids and beads adorning their hair, satisfied, she turned toward a rather exasperated looking Orochimaru. 

"You are absolutely right." her wide dimpled smile made her face glow. "I won't, and can't find myself bothered by it in the least." Gripping my wrist softly, I thumbed over the words inked onto my wrist. 

I was happy, happier than I had been in years, it's like the puzzle pieces that were once missing were slotted into place. 

* * *

"Ria, it's just a spar." Tsunade said, incredibly exasperated, she stood behind my helping put my heavy hair into tight twin buns on my head. 

Despite my upcoming match later that day with Jiraiya's student, it was hard to combat the nerves that took hold of my stomach. 

"It's going to be so one sided though Tsuna!" I whimpered pathetically, fidgeting anxiously with the forearm and shin protectors. 

"Well, with that attitude of course it will be." The blonde snickered, sliding duel senbon with Shima's bells attached to the ends of them securely into the buns.

"When do you think I will be able to start using ninjutsu?" 

"Give yourself sometime, you are being too harsh on yourself." She busied herself braiding the section left out of the buns positioned just behind my ear, clasping the end of it with a metal clasp, and amber glass bead with a senju clan symbol engraved on it.

"Give it another six months, there is nothing wrong with pursuing your taijutsu and kenjutsu." 

I had to fight the urge to scowl, and settled on pouting childishly. 

"Okay, can we atleast get some chakra paper to see what elemental affinity I have?" Tsunade fluttered around me situating my ceramic chest plate over the long sleeved shinobi shirt, her gaze dropped surveying the wrapping around my shins making sure it was done properly. 

It was a waste of wrap in my opinion, I wasn't sure why shinobi just didn't opt into wearing form fitted clothing to help reduce the waste that was ninja bindings.

"Re-wraps your thigh holsters, they aren't tight enough." I sighed, and went about securing the kunai holsters more tightly to my person. "I have some chakra paper here, if you atleast give this spar your best effort, perhaps we can check after." My mouth dropped open in surprise, as I openly gaped at her gall.

"Tsunade?! Are you trying to bribe me?! Like I'm some damn kid?!" If I listened closely, I could faintly make out the ' _well if the kunai kills'_ and I growled at her and her sass.

"Is it working though?" I leveled her with the harshest glare I could, before huffing and turning away. 

"...maybe." I sniffed. 

"You're impossible." She snorted at me fondly. "Let's get going then, we are already 15 minute's late." Ria screeched, her face flushing in embarrassment. 

"Tsunade! How could you?! I trusted you?!" The blonde cackled, watching my flustered form hopping from foot to foot slipping my shinobi sandals on, in the midst of panic.

She darted away from the compound with myself on her heels, we continued sniping insults at one another the entire way to the training ground. 

I wasn't sure what I expected, but it most certainly wasn't the horde of people we happened upon. The rest of the sannin, and the teenage blonde who was undoubtedly Namikazi Minato stood beside Jiraiya pouring over some scroll on the ground. 

A subtle pulse of chakra identified the three men standing beside an incredibly youngish Sarutobi Hiruzen as the same men from my first night in Konoha; the chakra that felt like sun warmed earth with a sweet undertone was an Akimichi man with cat ears, I would eat my sandals if that wasn't Akimichi Torifu. 

The will-o-wisp fire chakra was indeed an Uchiha, if the dark features were to go by, the curly hair was a give away as to who the man was, since I didn't know if Shisui was even born yet- had to be Uchiha Kagami. 

At the sight of the last man the nerves in my stomach seemed to hit a crescendo, the silver haired man with eyes the color of obsidian and the brightest chakra I had ever seen; Hatake Sakumo

"Sorry to keep you all waiting." My tongue felt foreign, and my mouth suddenly dry, gave the Hokage and his honorable elders a bow. 

Hiruzen, who was still donned in his white hokage robes and hat, waved away the apology. 

"We just arrived here deary, no need to worry." He motioned the other Sannin over, "This is Namikazi Minato, I'm sure Jiraiya told him about you, is the one you will be sparring with today." I haze a brief nod in greeting. 

"Namikazi-san, it's nice too meet you! My name is Ofiria, please call me Ria!" I chirped to the blond, his face flushed and he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"A-ah, its nice to meet you as well Ria-san, please call me Minato." I smiled warmly at the man, my chakra pulsed curiously brushing against his in greeting. 

Minato felt like sunshine and a warm breeze. How could one man feel like the sky? 

I have no doubt this teen would undoubtedly one day be the man he was portrayed as. His entire demeanor felt warm, bubbly, and charismatic. His chakra didn't jump in surprise, but he smiled warmer and brushed against mine in greeting. 

"Ria-san here is a very peculiar case, she has only had a few months of shinobi training, and we were hoping to have a spar to gauge her abilities." Hiruzen said "My advisors and I were hoping to see your progress so far." 

"Of course, Hokage-sama" Minato said warmly. 

"We will start out with Taijutsu, usually from there we would go to Ninjutsu, and Genjutsu, but I am aware you are not able to manifest either correct?" Hiruzen turned toward me with his question, pipe hanging from his lips smoking floating gently from the pipe. 

"Yes, Hokage-sama." I tried hard not to focus on the shame that filled me at the revelation. 

He nodded in understanding.

"After the Taijutsu, you both will engage in an all out spar, anything goes aside from killing one another." He eyed the both of us, with his calculating gaze. 

"You may begin when you are ready."

* * *

Minato and I took opposite sides of the clearing, forms in defensive positions eyes trained on each other. 

His chakra was tightly coiled beneath his skin, thrumming brightly and ready to be used his eyes roved my form looking for holes. 

Shima and Fukasaku had not been slouches when it came to drilling frog style into me, the toads were known for their dexterity and flexibility required to properly utilize frog kata; the flexibility and dexterity were only gifted those deemed worthy of being a toad summoner. 

Crouching low, hips parallel to the ground, legs spread akimbo in what would generally be a position uncomfortable to someone whose knees and ankles weren't double jointed. Leaning forward ever so slightly, non dominant arm curled loosely behind my back, the other arm bowed with palm facing outward toward him. 

And then the both of them _moved_. 

Ofiria, threw the first punch toward his chest. Minato matched her speed hitting her inner elbow, knocking her attack off course. Ria anticipated the deflection followed through it, using her momentum to swivel her body sending her leg careening toward his chest. His hand flashed out gripping her knee harshly sending a punch toward her midsection with his other hand.

She twisted mid air to avoid his punch using his grip to assist her other leg to sweeping across the air to kick his head, Minato released his grip on her, dropping into a low crouch as her body sailed over him. He gave her no time to collect herself as he was behind her before she even touched the ground, sending her careening across the training field with a sharp blow to her back. 

Ria rolled thrice across the ground before her sense of balance returned to her, flipping to her feet she ran at Minato again, pushing through the low pulsing of pain radiating across her back she focused chakra into her limbs coating them protectively. 

Time was lost to them as they traded blows relentlessly, none of hers managed to land all fluidly redirected by the blonde. Minato, on the other hand had more success with his hits landing. 

"That's enough." A weather worn voice called. "You both have 5 minutes to use your all, begin" 

I panted heavily, sweat drenching my form, the hits Minato managed to land burned in pain, pulsating angrily. As soon as Hiruzen had finished speaking, I sucked a deep breath, my eyes slid shut, my body relaxing into a far too familiar bull frog stance.

My chakra _heaved_ , drawing senjutsu energy into my body, melding and bonding with it and life color bloomed across my closed eyelids. Fingers twitching around the hilt of my tanto, drawing the blade from its sheath silently. 

Chakra sung in my veins, vibrating excitedly, senjutsu coated my limbs like a second skin. 

Like that jacket that made you feel like the baddest mofo in the club. 

Exhaling, my now amphibious eyes were trained on Minato, his eyes were wide in surprise shifting quickly into excitement.

"Are...are you a toad sage?" His voice trailed high in surprise. 

I gifted him a dazzling smile in response, intent on taking full advantage of his surprise leaping forward slashing at his chest feet before him.

He blinked confusedly, at the too short strike. Until the aftershock of the frog kata made contact slashing diagonally across his flack jacket tearing it cleanly apart. 

"Hai! and this, is Frog kata, Minato-san." My face warmed at my first successful strike against the golden haired man. "Let's give it our all, neh?" He never said anything, but his chakra bubbled in the excitement of a spar. 

Ria pressed upon him slicing the air around him, Minato's body twisted around the strikes his fingers flipped through hand signs forcing me to back off my assault from an unknown attack. 

**"Futon: Renkuden**!" His chest inflated with air, and he spat numerous bullets of wind at Ria. 

Blinding lights obscured my vision, the amount of chakra fed into his technique, felt like I was suddenly staring into a spot light or the sun. Closing my eyes at the sudden bright light, trying to predict the trajectory of the bullets. 

The last one grazed her bicep, sending searing pain rippling across her body. Gritting her teeth through the pain, she reinforced the wound with chakra and gripped the tanto tighter. Flaring her chakra it illuminated her surroundings chasing the dark spots from her vision, she bounded toward Minato, low to the ground swiping upward at the man, he parried her blows with his Kunai.

It seems he had quickly guessed the range of her senjutsu covered tanto, able to navigate around the blows easily he sent a quick blow to her forearms forcing Ria to release the tanto from her grasp. 

"Impressive, I believe we have seen enough." The weathered voice called out, both participants of the spar panted heavily

"For someone who hasn't sparred before, I'd say you did fairly well!" The blonde said, he extended his fingers in the mark of reconciliation. 

Ria's face tipped toward the outstretched fingers, gently clasping their fingers together to finish the mark. 

"Thank you for the spar." Ria called out tiredly. It felt like I had been thoroughly chewed up and spit out, everywhere ached. With the spar now over with, my sage mode had faded and my eyes felt comfortable enough to open again. 

"It's very strange that you are able to fight with your eyes closed, for most shinobi that would be a hindrance." Minato said, retrieving my tanto in a burst of speed and handing it back to me.

"Thank you" taking the tanto, and sliding it into the hilt strapped to my lower back. "My sensing ability seems to be both a blessing and a curse. Your air bullets blinded me." 

"That's why you froze up!" He hit his fist onto his palm. 

"That was an absolutely terrible show of skill, and frankly I expected better!" Jiraiya bellowed out, the smirk on his face was a clear contradiction to the disappointment that colored his voice.

"Yes, for someone as inexperienced as Ria-chan...we have a lot of training to do." Orochimaru stated as he appraised Minato and Ria. Tsunade scoffed, her fingers deftly pulled my hand off of the wound of my shoulder, and her menthol medical chakra seemed into my arm. 

I glared at the male Sannin.

"I think I did pretty good if I say so myself" I sniffed at them irritably. Jiraiya, the bastard just snorted at me.

"You did." The Hokages kind voice said. "We will need to work on that chakra sensitivity though, a split second delay could mean death in the field." His gaze lingered on Jiraiya and Orochimaru, before settling back onto Ria. "I'm afraid there is an urgent matter that needs attending, I leave you with my advisors." He gave me a slight smile, and disappeared in a swirl of leaves. 

Tsunade patting my arm softly, she headed toward Minato to check him over for any wounds. The Hokages advisors approached from where they had been talking amongst themselves. 

"Hello Ofiria-san! My name is Uchiha Kagami." The dark haired man with curls said, with a blinding smile. 

"It's very nice to meet you Uchiha-san." I couldn't help but return the smile, that seemed very un-Uchiha like to begin with. 

"Please, Kagami will do just fine!" He made motions to the other men standing beside him. 

"Kagami-san, then." Nodding at him, turning toward the men beside him.

"I'm Akimichi Torifu, please just Torifu will suffice." The broad man stated with an incline of his head, nibbling on some Dango - _where did he get that from?_ I eyed the stick, my stomach growling. 

"Torifu-san, it's nice too meet you as well, it's good to finally put the chakra to the face." The man flashed a chubby grin around a Dango stick. 

"Recognize our signatures eh?" The handsome man with silver hair said. "I'm Hatake Sakumo, just call me Sakumo." I could feel my cheeks pinkend, as I flashed the men a dimpled smile.

"Ah, yes, I remember your chakra from my first night here!" I brushed my chakra against theirs curiously. "I will admit most Uchiha feel very similar, all fire and hot air." Kagami laughed heartily and Torifu chuckled. "The Hatake seem to have a very particular flavor of chakra as well, I would be hard pressed to miss it." 

Jiraiya smirked and winked knowingly at me, Tsunade, the angel she is elbowed him in the ribs, Orochimaru rolled his eyes at his teammates behavior. 

"You would be right about that." His deep baritone voice stated, he raised a brow at Jiraiya before looking at Ria again. "Torifu, Kagami, and myself have a pretty good understanding of where we think you would fit within Konoha." He started curiously, eyeing his fellow advisors. "But were do you see yourself?" Rubbing my neck nervously, I pondered his question.

"I see myself in more of a 'support' role...I don't see myself as a front line fighter or heavy fighter. I'd rather incapacitate then kill."

I felt my throat close up, what was I thinking trying to become a Shinobi? I don't think I would have the guts to _kill_ anyone. Standing in front of men who fought and killed for the sake of their village, I no doubt seemed incredibly childish for my hope to not kill at all. "I worked in a hospital for years, maybe I could become an iryo-nin?" At this the men became a bit wide eyed.

"Well, it is a bit unorthodox that you cannot use chakra, what makes you think you could become an Iryo-nin?" Torifu asked hesitantly, Orochimaru tsk'd.

"It is not that Ria, cannot use chakra." He stated slowly. "It is that she cannot use it _yet_ because her coils are still growing. Iryo requires Yin chakra, it's not nearly the same as _manifesting jutsu_." Tsunade's eyes glimmered with something I couldn't quite place.

"I forgot that you have experience in the hospital, we could always use more med-nin!" Tsunade said excitedly. 

"Then it's settled." Sakumo smiled crookedly. "You would make an excellent addition to our sensory division, learning Medical Ninjutsu would be another boon for you." His chakra flickered briefly, in concern? My eyebrows furrowed. "As of right now, you are low/mid chunnin. Keep up with your training, and you'll make Tokubetsu Jonnin in no time." 

My brain turned to mush, my chakra crackled and popped like fireworks as I stared at Sakumo's crooked smirk. 

Hatake; have literal fanged teeth, if anything, this man seemed more vampiric then bestial. Blinking rapidly, _trying_ not to stare at the chiseled man, with silver hair shining- practically glowing under the midmorning sun, his bangs falling over his leaf headband framing his face-

_It wasn't working very well._

"A-ah, I'll do my best." My face warmed as, flashing the men a dimpled smile. 

"We look forward to it!" Kagami bounced on the balls of his feet animatedly. "We will have someone stop by the Senju compound later to drop off your flak jacket, forehead protector and information regarding the sensory division!" He looked over to Tsunade. "I trust you'll take care of the iryo-nin portion?" 

Tsunade gave him a fiendish smile. 

"Of course, honorable advisor."

"Wonderful! Now that that's out of the way, I'm gonna go get lunch!" He turned toward his fellow advisors. "I'll meet you back in the tower!" He wiggled his fingers and disappeared in a burst of fire. 

Torifu gave a contended hum at the prospect of a meal. 

"Torifu-san?" The cat eared man blinked the hungry glaze out of his eyes and re-focused on Ria. "You are admittedly the first Akimichi I've met in Konoha so far, I have a litany of Western food dishes, but admittedly not a good grasp on local cuisine." I admitted shyly. "Could we perhaps trade recipes sometime?" 

The man had stars in his eyes, and faster than I could process the broad man picked me up in one of the fiercest hugs ever.

I'm pretty sure I squealed in surprise, the surprise quickly turned to laughter at his excitement. 

"Is that a yes then?" I could feel my face warm for a completely different reason now.

"I will never say no to food! It goes against everything the Akimichi know" His voice was light and excited, chakra bubbling happily. "How could I turn down dishes that are once in a life time offers?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aunty status unlocked!
> 
> Ophelia, gets a more regional friendly name. To be honest it came out of no where for me, I do a lot of translating, from English to Japanese. I never realized that Ls were translated to Rs, and somethings fell into place as I was writing and just decided to heck with it. 
> 
> This chapter is a nod too
> 
> Tsundoku By: CherFleur  
> In the Eye of the Beholder By: Authorship 
> 
> Go show them some love! I'm so technologically challenged I don't know how to put links in I'm so sorry. ( ・´з`・)


	9. You wanna catch these hands?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pack looks out for pack.
> 
> Orochimaru and Tsumade are mad scientist confirmed.
> 
> Reiki 2.0.
> 
> Throwing hands, but long distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo! It me, here to drop off this thingy! I've been working hard to try and smoothe out the POV changes, I hope the flow is better!

I may have been in a bit over my head when I asked Torifu about trading cuisines, it took awhile for the man to calm down. 

It also might have been a bit unnerving to hear a grown man _giggle._

Torifu said he would be in touch for our first session, I wouldn't be surprised if that was tomorrow. 

Sakumo, who was still floating about; had meandered over too Jiraiya and Minato, the toad sage himself was talking in hushed tones but making very animated hand gestures. 

"Is that just how Jiraiya talks?" I questioned, Tsunade grunted in confirmation beside me. 

"It's not enough that he talks with just his face, he needs to use his hands to communicate as well." Orochimaru scoffed at me. I raised an eyebrow, turning toward him to retort. 

When I noticed the look in Orochimaru's eye, if I looked closely, squinted, and turned my head just a _tiny_ bit.

The adoration that Orochimaru had in his eye's as he watched Jiraiya-

He wasn't even looking at his face! He was blatantly staring at his ass!

Did Tsunade see this? I backhanded her, smacking my forearm protector straight into her unprotected chest. The blonde grunted on impact and snarled at me grabbing my arm in a not too friendly grip.

I wiggled my hand to get her attention and pointed at her two teammates. There was a sharp inhale and a brief _oh_ from her. 

Oh, so she had noticed it too, cool, I ship it. 

With my neck craned as I turned to look at the blonde beside me, raising a delicate white brow in a _'are we gonna really do this?'_ manner. The grin she gave me was entirely fox like and I knew she was in.

"Well why don't you go over there and show him what else he can do with his face?" I leered at the androgynous man, Tsunade snorted and covered her mouth quicky. 

Orochimaru's face burned a brilliant red, he hissed something inhuman, sputtering incoherently and wheeled around to hit me. 

Me, being the smart adult I am, hid behind Tsunade. 

Let it be said, that you should never antagonize those who can kick your ass. 

"Be nice, we don't need more perverts." Tsunade flicked my head, ignoring my cries of pain. "What she means to say is, you have our support." She said wholeheartedly "-and you should name your first born after us." Oh, wow, Orochi-chan is entirely red now. 

_"Tsunade!"_

The newly mortified Orochimaru, didn't linger too much longer in the field claiming he had team practice with baby gennin to go to and promptly walked away. (read: ran) 

"Did you know about…?" _Orochimaru liking Jiraiya_ _?_ Went unsaid, the blonde hesitated for a moment before nodding. 

"Looking back, all of the signs were there, it was fairly obvious." She murmured quietly, moving closer to regroup with the boys.

I hmm'd in understanding. 

Minato was the first to notice, us rejoining them his eyes glimmered with questions. 

"How long have you been a toad sage?" 

"Ah, I actually just got back from Mount Myoboku." I looked over to Jiraiya in question. I'm pretty sure I wasn't supposed to tell everyone that I wasn't exactly from _here._

I considered the time I spent in Mount Myoboku, my face pursed in contemplation as I recalled recent but fond memories of the toads. 

"How come I'm just meeting you now then? You've had the toad summoning contract signed for years?!"

The man _pouted_. 

Oh, I had forgotten that Orochimaru had made mention of some weird timing difference. I apparently have had the toad summoning contract for a little over two years? 

"Er, well,-" 

"Gaki! Leave my imouto alone." Jiraiya said, and time felt like it stood still around me. The male blonde gawked.

_I'm sorry, Jiraiya said what?_

The hair was the only thing that could peg us as siblings. Well, our personalities are rather similar? Both of us were idiots with terrible attention spans and perverts. 

My eyes narrowed at my _now_ older brother figure. 

Maybe we were a lot more similar than I thought. Ugh, if I started calling him aniki I'd end up giving him some kind of complex I just knew it. 

Tsunade elbowed my side, I grunted on impact. That was so my revenge for hitting her boobs.

To be quite honest, It felt like I had more of a sibling rivalry with her than anything between Jiraiya and myself. 

Huh, okay, I'll need the full story on that later. Maybe this was my official cover story I had been waiting for? I'm surprised it took as long as it did then to get figured out. 

"Ria, and I met during the second war, she was the one who helped me during my time MIA; come to find out my pops got around alot and the toads took a liking to her." He shrugged, like the entire situation was no big deal at all.

Minato pinned him with a chilly glare. 

"I'm your favorite student! Why am I just hearing about your family now?! It's been over two years." Minato pouted. 

"I finally convinced her to come to Konoha?" Jiraiya tried to smile warmly, it just made him look constipated. 

"It's not safe to travel during war time, With the peace treaties signed, Jiraiya got the go ahead to bring her home." Tsunade admonished the young chunnin lightly. 

"They're right. It's not safe to travel during a war, let alone if enemies were to find out I'm family to a Densetsu no Sannin." Minato's brows furrowed, he nodded his head sagely after a few moments.

I could feel myself relaxing at his acceptance. I was not a good liar, I'm going to leave the making up backstories for the sneaky ninjas they were, and just simply agree where I can. 

"Tadaima." I offered lamely, with an impish grin. Warmth seared my body, my chakra bubbled against theirs. 

Because I was home now, this was my home and I loved it. 

My chartreuse eyes landed on a familiar face framed by silver fringe, butterflies began to take flight deep in my belly and my grin turned more genuine in response.

I was also in love with Hatake Sakumo, and I was _so_ incredibly screwed. 

After a few moment of idle conversation with the men. Tsunade, who had been waiting patiently, was eager to learn the extent of my medical knowledge and excused herself and began none to gently drag me from the clearing.

It's not that I didn't want to learn from Tsunade, she was the best teacher when it came to learning the healing arts. 

"Do we have to do it now? Tsuna~ I'm so tired and hungry." I grumbled at her, half heartedly protesting her ministrations.

"No better time than now, with as young as your chakra system is we need to work on control and expanding your reserves. Right now they're both relatively pitiful." She sniffed. 

I sighed heavily recusing myself to my fate, waving forlornly at the men allowing the blonde haired women to drag me away. 

* * *

"I want you to know I'm still very upset at the fact you didn't tell me you had a sister." Minato grumbled at Jiraiya, the toad sage himself merely rolled his eyes. 

"In my defense you've never asked about it." Jiraiya said, tilting his chin in the air like the giant man child he was. 

Sakumo snorted, shaking his head fondly as the two began to bicker amongst each other. 

"I didn't know I had too!" If Minato was any less of the teenager he was, Sakumo was sure he would have begun to pull acrid yellow hair in frustration.

Sarutobi was a goddamn genius for devising the cover story he did for the woman's abrupt appearance into the village. Jiraiya being an orphan with no known family of note, made the backstory of half siblings that much easier to believe.

It seemed to coincide well with his timing going missing in action well. An unstable, untested, fuinjutsu seal transporting him kilometers into the land of rivers where he had to lay low for a month to recuperate from an extensive injury. Wherein he met Opheria, an orphan from her own backwater village suffering from a compromised chakra system.

The land of rivers being a rather well known trading hub with hundreds of people coming and going daily made it a rather convenient that no one really remembers the white haired woman. 

Her true origins would forever be a secret to the Sannin, the advisors of the Hokage, and the middle aged man himself. Sakumo was broken from his musing as a tiny silver blur collided with his legs, earning chuckles from the toad sage and his student. 

“Tou-san!”

“Well, hello Kakashi.” The proud father smirked “I take it you are working on your tracking today?” Proud papa tapped his son lightly on his nose.

“Hai!” The rest of his pack that bounded into the clearing behind his son had flopped dramatically around their charge. 

“You tracked us all the way from the Hokage tower then neh?” Sakumo questioned his son, who bobbed his head eagerly. He couldn’t help the smile that crept across his face at his sons beaming smile hidden behind his shuriken scarf. “I’m proud of you Kakashi, you were so quick you managed to beat the pack here.” 

Said pack of hounds grumbled at their alpha.

“Alpha’s pup has a lot of energy.” Ringos massive brindle form grumbled as she flopped down beside the massive chow chow, whose tongue lolled out of his mouth as he panted. 

“Lots of energy, keeps pack on paw pads!” Aki bounded toward his alpha after his perimeter sweep. His son recounted his adventures of the day-

Mainly how he had managed to escape his Tsume-nee-chan, and was very pleased with his ability to do so. 

Sakumo's attention drifted over to the only member of his pack who hadn’t yet joined them. Mame, who stood with muscles coiled and snout in the air, was pacing along the middle of the training grounds where Minato and Ria had been practicing. 

“Mame?” Calling attention to the hound, head heads turning to look at the pacing- and seemingly distressed hound. “What is it?” 

The black terrier whimpered pawing at the ground by a puddle of blood. 

“Mame says pack hurt.” His head craned toward Aki, he could feel his brows furrow. 

“Pack hurt?” Sakumo said incredulously as the terrier flopped on the ground rolling around attempting to cover up the scent. This struck him as odd immediately and red flags began to raise in his mind, this was an action pack would normally do to throw enemies off of a scent of a wounded packmate.

“No one was hurt, Minato and Ria were sparring.” Sakumo said to his hounds, Mame stood up shaking his fur, his spot was taken by other members of his pack also eager to cover up the scent. 

He utilized all of his shinobi training to keep a straight face when his own son was all too eager to mimic the actions his packmates were doing. 

Mame’s snout curled back, exposing pearly white fangs and the short fur along his back and shoulders stood on end as his gaze fixated on Minato. 

"H-Hurt... pack.” A raspy unused voice no one had heard before called; a pink tongue darted out to lick along incisors. Sakumo physically startled, causing the shinobi beside him to tense up.

Did Mame just…? 

Sakumo can say he never expected this hound to be able to speak, not all dogs from the summon realm were able too, and he was under the impression that Mame was one of them. 

“Explain.” The alpha within him snapped his body instinctively slipping into the roll of alpha, his own lip curling.

It was a physical manifestation of him telling his pack to _stand down._

The unspoken command was acknowledged by the hounds, Mame's fur flattened and he bowed his head in submission. 

Mame grumbled some barks at his alpha, Aki barked sharply at the smaller dog nipping at his shoulder in reprimand. 

"Old pack?" Kabocha, the weary basset hound who had been quietly surveying the exchange. "Mame said the other scent is reminiscent of old alpha." 

That… didn't make any sense, the black terrier seemed to be a rather young pup, and Sakumo wasn't aware of his ninken having pack outside of the Hatake. 

"What happened to your old pack?" He intoned curiously. 

The pup visibly wilted, whimpering sadly. 

None of his pack dared to repeat the words spoken by their packs most recent member, the body language seemed to speak volumes as to what had befallen the pups older pack. 

"My condolences." He said softly, he turned to the men beside him to seemed rather flabbergasted by the entire exchange. Minato, had shifted uncomfortably keeping the terrier in his peripheral.

"Your pack knows Ria?" The sage questioned softly, the silver haired man shook his head. 

"Not that I know of." He watched his pack puppy pile the suddenly sullen pitbull. "If this is the reaction one of my pack has to her, perhaps it wouldn't be the best idea to cross paths." A guarded look crossed his face, pack looks out for pack, and he was unsure how he felt regarding this recent development. 

* * *

"Take this, and channel your chakra into it." Tsunade handed me a small piece of paper no bigger than a post-it note.

I eyed the piece of paper curiously my chakra pulsed darting from my fingertips into the piece of paper. Excitement filled me, this was a moment I had been looking forward too. I was honestly hoping for a fire affinity and-

Nothing happened.

I raised my eyebrow at the blonde woman.

"Is this a joke? Did you give me a regular piece of paper?" Flaring my chakra into the paper again, the paper shuttered but didn't change forms. 

She glared at me plucking the paper from her fingers, Tsunade's chakra flickered and the paper crumbled to dust. 

"...huh." My eyes settled back onto my own fingers. "I don't think that is supposed to happen." 

She clicked her tongue.

"Will nothing ever be simple with you?" She grumbled and I could feel my face warm in embarrassment. 

All I wanted to do was give Naruto a better world…

Why did I assume any of this wouldn't be so damn complicated?

"If the chakra paper doesn't react to my chakra, what does that mean for me?" I was doing my best not to panic.

My training so far had been tailored around my inability to manifest Ninjutsu, so the fact that my chakra apparently lacked an affinity wouldn't be hindered all that much.

But I couldn't help but _mope._

I was under the assumption that my chakra network still maturing was only going to be a temporary set back, but to find out I wouldn't be able to do Ninjutsu at all?!

"Well, you won't be a Ninjutsu specialist." Orochimaru, the bastard said sarcastically. 

The mad scientist in him was thoroughly fascinated, and all too eagerly made me a pin-cushion taking all types of samples.

Hair, skin, muscle, organ tissues, bone _marrow_.

I don't know why I agreed to it, but goddamnit if it all didn't _hurt_.

Sniffed at him irritability. 

"Tsunade, you are supposed to protect me from your sadistic teammates." I whined at the blonde, who had been far too enthralled in the matter. "You aren't supposed to be _helping._ "

I take it back, both Orochimaru and Tsunade were mad scientists. And I, was their pet project that they just had to figure out. 

She flapped an errant hand at me from her position peering over the snake sannins shoulder, surveying his work.

"You are being a child." The snake Sannin hissed, without looking up from the scroll infront of him "You are already a chunnin, stop acting like this is the end of your shinobi career, it's literally just begun." 

I blinked at his assessment of my character, inwardly I bristled at being called a child. _I am three years younger than this asshole!_

And then, quite harshly, I recalled two familiar green clad figures that also couldn't use Ninjutsu. 

-Er, well three spandex wearing people? No, only two for now, Maito Dai, whom I had yet to meet but was sure was still around and kicking. To Gai, adorable little Gai that I had braided green and orange glass beads into his hair a few days ago. Finally, Rock Lee who I was positive it was over a decade too early for. 

The all too familiar feeling of mortification washed over me, warming my cheeks.

Gai himself; had been personally responsible for kicking Madara's ass into next week with taijutsu alone! 

Fuck if I couldn't try to do the same, I all ready had a head start with my Taijutsu and Kenjutsu. 

"I'm going to go train." Neither one of the Sannin looked up from their work to pay my brooding form any mind, merely grunting in acknowledgement. 

* * *

It was very difficult to find a balance in this new life. 

Between the daily exhausting and debilitating training I threw myself into, which included running laps around Konoha, wearing weights that were fuinjutsu sealed so I could simply channel chakra to change the weights on my extremities. To extensive chakra control techniques sticking beads and leaves to my person, sitting on the ceiling until my chakra reserves depleted themselves. 

The first time I gave myself chakra exhaustion had been a very uncomfortable but incredibly familiar experience, it very much reminded me of the time spent before Jiraiya was able to bring me home. 

The bone deep exhaustion that seemed to linger, joints ache that felt similarly to growth, muscles trembled and spasmed in protest to any miniscule movement It was horrific. From that point I made mental notes to ensure I knew my limitations of my reserves, to prevent myself from feeling this way again.

This doesn't even begin to cover the mental fog that obscured my mind when my chakra reserves began to wane, like now for example Tsunade had been grilling me all morning for the Mystic palm technique, after multiple attempts I felt sluggish and tired. 

"Stop lazing about, and focus on healing the damn fish!" The slug sannin snapped, the fog cleared briefly allowing me to focus on irritated honeyed eyes. 

"You aren't channeling your chakra properly" her hands grabbed mine, deftly touching various points from my stomach- indicating my core, or chakra reserves all the way up my arms ending with my hands. "You need to focus on chakra control, pull from your core to the tenketsu points along your chest and arms to the palms of your hands!" 

"It doesn't feel right!" I whined, easing my hands from her grasp, laying my palms face down just above the lifeless fish. 

Taking a slow breath, I focused on my sluggish chakra, coaxing it upwards in tandem with my breathing, directing it along the tenketsu points she indicated. 

I sighed at the feeling of my own chakra, it was warm like the sage oil used back on Mount Myoboku, it's felt smooth like velvet of the toads underbelly. Feeling it thrum warmly just beneath my skin felt like the comfiest oversized sweatshirt on a cool day. 

My chakra moved slowly but surely following where I directed it, until it rested just beneath my palms glowing a soft periwinkle. 

"That's odd, generally medical chakra is a pale green." She muttered some words under her breath, I was able to make out Orochimaru's name being said though, I arched a white brow at her in question.

Tsunade merely waved me away, refocusing her attention on the progress of my Mystic palm. 

"Better, now use that sensory ability of yours to direct it into the fish." Sliding green eyes closed I pulsed my chakra out weakly into the fish below me. 

A faint flicker of chakra accompanied by a soft humming resonated from the creature. Delicately I guided my chakra into the fish, it's chakra system shivered, vibrating dully as it took in my chakra. 

It was a slow process, directing healing chakra to oxygen deprived blood vessels, enriching and oxygenating capillary beds. 

Just as slowly, the once dull vibrations increased with tempo resonating a low purr. Another brief chakra pulse showed a warm and bright chakra signature from the fish, as it flopped against the medical scroll it laid on. 

"Whoa." I murmured, watching Tsunade scoop the fish back into a tank with practiced ease. 

"Not bad." She had a smirk on her face, but her eyes glowed warmly with pride.

"Now, do it again." I gave a defeated groan, my head slumped forward slamming against the table.

* * *

Training with her to learn medical ninjutsu had become just as tiring as strength training and frog kata.

Tsunade was a total hard ass, who had no qualms roughhousing and manhandling me when I wasn't doing something to her proper specifications.

She was the definition of tough love, promptly beating anything into me. Anything intellectual? Threw books and scrolls at my head. I didn't understand something medically? She'd poke me with the force that undoubtedly rivaled the force of strength she used to shatter mountains, just to get whatever point she was trying to make across. 

I don't know if I wanted to take her from Dan anymore. 

With Tsunade's work at the hospital, there would be days where she wouldn't be available to meet up for training. To my absolute delight Orochimaru had no problems stepping up to help whenever Tsunade was unable too. 

Tsunade must have talked to him about my odd colored chakra, the next time I met up with him for training he had me repeat the process with his hands pressed against my back so he could monitor my process. 

"That is a bit unorthodox." Orochimaru finally said after removing his hands from my back. 

"Great, add it to my list of my quirks." I said in a deceptively cheerful voice to hide my irritation. 

"Oh, I will, I've been compiling a list of your abnormalities." The snake man gave a nod, pulling out a scroll from Kami knows where and proceeds to shake it at me.

"A list?" I gaped at the man, first of all, the audacity the snake to refer to my differences as abnormalities! I bristled, my cheeks puffing up like a toad in annoyance. "You son of a bitc-" unaffected by my posturing and the tiny wisps of KI that emanated from me, he flicked my head.

"Always with the dramatics." He clicked his tongue at me. "It's not that big of a deal, all things considering. Everyone has different colored chakra, everyone has different chakra signatures based on the way their physical and spiritual chakra combines." 

That made a fair amount of sense, being a sensor and sensitive to chakra I was aware first hand just how different everyone's chakra signatures were. Sure, certain variants were passed in when it came to a clan, but they were all unique in their own right and no two were the same. 

"I suppose that makes sense." I grumbled under my breath, sliding my forehead plate up to rub at my bruised forehead. "So do you know why my medical chakra is not green then?" 

Orochimaru gave a soft hum as his hand scrawled again the scroll as he documented his findings. 

"I have theories." He began, golden eyes lingering on me monetarily before choosing to refocus on the scroll below him. "Of which, I'm still waiting on the results of your previous test." 

The way he said _test_ made the hair on the back of my neck raise as I recounted the incredibly large needle he stuck in my thigh only a few days prior. I absentmindedly rubbed my thigh as phantom pain flared from the area. 

"But?" 

"No buts." Orochimaru began, speaking slowly reiterating his previous words in hopes they would finally make it past her thick skull. "The coloring is just the blend of your Yin and Yang chakra combining, though if it makes you feel more comfortable my theory is that you are unconsciously channeling nature chakra into your healing." 

"I'm doing what?" My spine straightened and I looked over the previous fish for any sort of petrification. 

Orochimaru gave a brief huff of laughter at my frantic searching. 

"They are fine-" his train of thought when she turned her attention to him, and began frisking him looking for any stony additions. 

"What are you doing you idiot?!" He hissed batting her hand away. 

"You're okay?" I asked with watery eyes, He could have been seriously hurt too! Senjutsu is very dangerous, he was undoubtedly a very experienced snake sage but the thrum of fear laced through my body had me on edge.

"You're ridiculous." He gave an embarrassed huff, the tips of his ears taking on a reddish tint. "I'm fine, and so are the fish. Do you recall your first week in Mount Myoboku?" 

My brow furrowed in confusion, I didn't remember much. I vaguely remember Tsunade and Orochimaru didn't leave my side very often in fear of my incredibly fragile chakra network failing. 

"I remember you and Tsuna-chan up my ass for the entire week." I raised a white brow in confusion. 

A tick formed over his eye, and he pinched the bridge of his nose releasing a shaky exhale and something under his breath that sounded like _'I'm surrounded by absolute idiots.'_

"Tsunade-hime and I were ' _up your ass_ ' so you didn't die! That's not the point!" He hissed again, pulling out a scroll and shoving it into my hands. It was a medical scroll, one of the first that Tsunade had me go over. I looked from him to the scroll, and back to him in confusion. 

Orochimaru rolled his eyes and strode forward, flipping the scroll open to tap elegant fingers against a passage. 

"Iryo-ninjutsu, an advanced medical technique where the practitioner utilizes advanced chakra control to filter their chakra into a nullified type of chakra called medical chakra-" 

"Do you understand what this means?" He interrupted. 

Thoughts swirled as my tiny pea brain tried to understand exactly what he was trying to get at. I pondered, recalling exactly just how the medical chakra they had pumped me full of felt cool, minty, and had small traces of slug and snake respectively.

_Utilizes advanced chakra control to filter chakra into a nullified type of chakra._

"When you use iryo-ninjutsu, you have to filter out your chakra nature?" I said my voice lined with awe at the implication that every time someone performed a medical jutsu they had to remove their elemental affinity from their chakra network in order to be able to properly use iryo-ninjutsu. 

"Correct. That's why you, someone lacking the basic nature type, is able to perform Mystic palm so easily." His head gave a soft bob in agreement. "When you meld your Yin and Yang chakra together to perform medical ninjutsu, instead of removing a chakra nature, your chakra system actually adds senjutsu to the mixture creating a new type of iryo-ninjutsu. Which, fascinatingly enough, negates the petrification risk and heals not only the body but also heals the chakra system." 

I gave a soft hum of understanding. 

Oh, that was pretty useful to not only be able to heal, but repair chakra systems as well. 

Wait.

Repair. Chakra. Systems?!

"Hah?!" I gaped at the man, who had the gall to actually laugh at my astounded expression.

How could he say something like that so casually? To my knowledge it was _impossible_ to be able to _heal_ the chakra network. Take Rock Lee's injuries when he fought Gaara in the Chuunin exams for example, blown tenketsu points, and extensive leg injuries nearly cost him his entire shinobi career. 

_And this mad scientist was saying I could heal the chakra network?_

"Tsunade-hime and I had our suspicions." He started amusement still coloring his face. "These suspicions were confirmed when we observed you utilizing iryo-ninjutsu." 

"What does this mean for me?"

"Well, you're going to be seeing us more often so we can expound the extent of this ability." I groaned slumping unceremoniously to the ground, pleasing anything but 

_"No"_ I pleaded, horrified of more samples, biopsies, and tests. I knew I was done for when the danger noodle threw back his head and laughed. 

* * *

My time spent under the slug sannin there were times I was interested in taking a page out of Haruno Sakura's notebook, and asking Tsunade to teach me her enhanced strength. 

_It just didn't feel right_. 

"I don't know _why_ , you keep refusing." Tsunade hissed irritably, doing a fantastic rendition of a tea kettle. 

"It doesn't feel right." I reiterated to her, fidgeting uncomfortably beneath her honeyed glare. 

"Orochi and I _just_ talked to you about this." She stalked closer, the sounds of her heels clacking against the floor. "In a one on one battle, with your skills you stand a chance, but against a group? Unlikely!" Tsunade growled, folding her arms beneath her bust. 

"I know but…" I wilted before her, just because it was true doesn't mean she had to say it like that. 

"No buts! You have no reason too!". 

"Er- well I do!" I whimpered defiantly. 

"You know what- fine!" She growled bending at the waist mirroring my petulant expression. "Why don't you just explain to me _why_ exactly you are refusing to learn my strength technique!"

"Tsuna~" I whined, pleading with her to just _drop it._ She, unbothered by my childish antics merely raised her eyebrow in defiance. 

I gave an exaggerated huff.

I had my hands in enough baskets at this point, it didn't seem ideal to be spreading myself so thin. 

With persistence summoning nature chakra and learning to adjust to its vibrations became easier to manage each training session, leading to my range of my sensory ability expanding. In combination with Kenjutsu, Frog Kata- the toads prized fighting style- I was confident that my next sparring match would be vastly different from my first. 

To Tsunade's point, she was unfortunately correct; the shinobi world was a strike first, ask questions later and bluntly put, survival of the fittest. It could only benefit me to expand my repertoire of combat styles and have the knowledge of them _just in case_. 

It was better to have the knowledge and not need it, than need it and not have it at all. Despite my knowledge and understanding from the show, there was a difference between watching something on screen, and being able to replicate that action during training. 

"Well…honestly- _itsbecauseyoutakeontwostudentsandoneofthembecomesthenextsannin!I...Idontwanttotakethatawayfromher!"_ I said in a rush, with red cheeks flushed from embarrassment. My word vomit caused the blonde haired women to still, with eyebrows raised in surprise.

"I don't think I caught that, try again, _slower."_

"I don't want to learn your strength technique because you take on two students and one of them becomes the next sannin." I swallowed past the lump in my throat, I mean, how fucking cool would it be to be able to break someone's spine with a flick? Call me Saitama? Deku? Bargain brand Tsunade? 

This time, her eyes widened along with her eyebrows, raising closer to her hairline. 

"I take on two students?" She whispered reverently, eyes shining with an emotion kin to pride. "Wait, that's great and all, and I can't wait to teach them, but I still don't understand why you don't want to learn." She flicked a cherry read nail at me. "Why can't I teach you too?" 

"I…-" Was there harm in me learning? Would me learning from Tsunade be taking away this opportunity from Shizune, or Sakura? 

_Why was I stopping myself from learning from one of the best shinobi, for those who weren't born yet?_

I suppose one could draw a comparison to me signing the Toads summoning scroll before Minato, if I could learn from the toads, what was the harm in my learning from Tsunade and her amazing strength? 

Beneath her judgmental honeyed glare my spine straightened, resolution washed over me, and a hardened focused gaze glimmered in chartreuse eyes.

I was not Tsunade, or her pupils, I was not Jiraiya, nor his students. 

I was Ria, some incredibly bubbly protagonist trying to forge my own path, but I would accepts all the tools they gave me to do so. 

_Can we take a moment to think about the destructive possibilities of combining frog kata with chakra enhanced strength?_ Combining sage training, which already require intense concentration- working in tandem with finite chakra control? 

I could probably bitch slap someone _across the village_ if I refined my frog kata enough.

...Did I need anymore of a reason than that? 

"I get it now." I started, my mouth curling up on one side. "I want to become strong enough to throw hands with someone across the village." My fist clenched and a fire lit in my eyes. 

"I'm glad you finally came to your senses." She seemed almost relieved, Tsunade blinked rapidly before her face scrunched in confusion. "Wait, what the fuck do you mean?" 

"Please teach me Tsuna-chan!" Ignoring her question I fell to my knees before her with hands clasped above my head, pleading with her to teach me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd just like to say I took some liberties when it comes to something regarding iryo-ninjutsu-
> 
> it's been awhile so I decided to brush up on my knowledge of medical ninjutsu, and honestly I was floored to have it compared to Reiki, that's essentially what I had planned for the hospital scene with Jiraiya being. I love it when things just fall into line like this it's gives me the chills.
> 
> We like Sakura here, please be nice. ♡


	10. Tough love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy this update with a side of angst, Tsunade's idea of self care, Orochimaru doing a protecc and things I'm currently hungry for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eh, yo, what up it's your weekly- *glances at calendar* er... nevermind.

"Are you ready?" 

"No." I said immediately, my chartreuse eyes darting from the front of the compound to the dirt beneath me feet, I shifted nervously underneath his heavy gaze. 

"We've already been standing here for the past ten minutes." The sage called, lifting a brow conveying vague annoyance. 

"I know, I'm sorry." I said rushed, my voice choked off at the apology. "It's just hard." Tears pricked in my eyes and I fluttered my lashes, blinking away the liquid that began to gather. "It feels so final." 

"But it's  _ not."  _ Jiraiya gave a heavy, defeated sigh. In a brief moment of weakness, and dare he say a growing soft spot he had for me, he wrapped thick arms around my shoulders. I took the opportunity to bury my face in his chest as my body began to shudder with sobs. "It's going to just be a little part of him you'll always have with you." He amended. 

"I know." I gave a sad sniff, wiping moisture from my eyes. I was great at procrastinating, great at ignoring things until they became too large to ignore. 

Right now, the terrier sized hole in my heart that I struggled to deal with was beginning to become more and more difficult to stay positive. 

That Bean was okay, that Bean's summon here had been successful.

According to Jiraiya, Bean had successfully been reverse summoned with me, that Fukusaku attached the proper seal to his collar and even produced the scroll he used to send me here to show me that he too was inked into the seal. 

It had been months, months of toads searching the sprawling mountains of their home had yielded no results, and no dog. 

Tiny toads journeyed to neighboring summons territories to see if they had seen any stray hound roaming around. 

The small, almost normal looking toads all returned bearing the same news that, no one had seen a loose dog running about.

My heart broke just a little more when one came back alone. If I had realized that me coming here would come with a cost, and that cost being my companion, my familiar- I… I don't know what choice I would have made, but it would have been the one where he could be running happy and free with all the squeaky toys he could get his paws on. 

Guilt, I was feeling guilty, because I was  _ so _ happy here, so happy to be living a life that I'd always wanted while Bean was somewhere, dark, alone, and maybe hungry. 

I gave a sad hiccup sob, as tears poured down my chubby cheeks at the thought, my chakra mirrored my guilt and sadness. It felt thick and syrupy, replicating a heaviness that sat on my chest making it difficult to breathe properly. 

_ I was a horrible furparent. _

"Alright, that's enough of that." Jiraiya gave a heavy sigh. "Tone down that chakra a little bit, you're beginning to gather your own rain clouds." 

"I'm a terrible person." I whined, I could vaguely hear him say something about him not being the one to deal with emotional women like this. 

If I had been in a different mood, I would have tried to fight him for being an ass. 

"I think you are overthinking this." His chakra wrapped around my warmly, concocting me in familiar warm oil. "Bean is just taking an extended vacation." He gave a half hearted shrug of his shoulders. "Besides, we are here because you wanted a squeaky toy in case you ever saw him again. I didn't figure out how to put a storage seal on you for the fun of it." 

"But…" I gave a gross sniff, Jiraiya grimaced at my ugly, gross, crying face. "You said you wanted someone to practice sealing on?" His face went through a myriad of emotions, before settling into a jovial one. 

"Eh, you were the one who had the idea of always having a ball on you  _ 'just in case' _ , I'm doing you a service here." His fingers curled in air quotes. "If I have to listen to you explain why ball is life, and whatever that means one more time I'll-" 

"Oi! What the hell are you doing out here." A young woman with an incredibly feral look in her slitted eyes, and untamed brown hair strode forward with a giant dog…  _ wolf? _ That came up to her hip, they both radiated a while untamed energy. 

Was this Inuzuka Tsume? Inuzuka no doubt based on the red fangs adorning her cheeks. 

"Oh! What a pleasant surprise Tsume-" Jiraiya squeaked, straightening immediately. 

"Cut the shit old man! What the hell did you do to this woman to have her crying in front of my compound?" She snarled out, the sound was echoed by the wolf beside her. 

"Wha-? Me?! I didn't do anything!" 

"I'll believe it when I see it." She bore her teeth at the man in warning. 

I took the opportunity during the lull in conversation to detach myself from Jiraiya, rubbing away tears from my no doubt red stained face. 

"H-hello there." Ugh, this was a terrible first impression. "Sorry to bother you." I gave a shallow bow to the woman. "My name is R-ria, Jiraiya is telling the truth, he's trying to help me and I'm having a hard time…" I gave a defeated croon, my shoulder slumped inwards. 

Jiraiya gave an exasperated huff beside me, turning back to Tsume. 

"Sorry to stop by unannounced, Ria lost a canine companion and she wanted to look into supplies for him when we find him." 

"Not ninken?" Tsume questioned.

_ Oh Kami he's out there all alone with no way to defend himself.  _

"No" I sniffled. 

"Well, no worries. The Inuzuka run a veterinarian clinic for all animals, so we have supplies for both." Her slitted animalistic eyes shifted from Jiraiya to myself. After a moment of hesitation she waved us forward and into the compound. "My name is Inuzuka Tsume." Her gruff voice called. "This is Kuromaru, Is there something in particular you were looking for?" 

I called out a soft greeting to the both of them, bumping my shoulder with Jiraiya's. His presence helped reassure and ground me. Even just these few steps into the compound hounds ran loose, darting about. Some walked side by side with their human companions, others were play fighting rolling around on the ground with one another. 

My heart clenched sadly in my chest, part of me had a slim hope that I'd see a smaller dark brown furred body running around here, playing happily. 

"Just some toys please, if that'd be okay. His favorites are squeaky toys."

"We can do that." The feral woman bobbed her head. Tsume led us to a large building that had kennels along the back of it, with hounds baying loudly inside of them. 

She gave a halfhearted wave to the person behind the counter and strode through the section of the store, stopping at a section filled with any and every kind of dog toy possible. From woven threaded ones, to smaller dog bone shaped toy and even ones that appeared to be for horses-

Given the size of Tsumes ninken, perhaps not horses, but big,  _ big _ dogs. 

"I've never seen you around Konoha before, but you smell like toad." Tsume narrowed her eyes at me. "You're new to Konoha I take it?" 

"Mn!" I flashed her a wobbly smile, before turning back to the wall of treats and toys before me. "I've been here about a week now?" I turned to Jiraiya in question. 

The sage didn't even turn to look at us as he held and oddly shaped toy in his hand like it was the most fascinating thing he had ever seen, simply gracing us with a 'Uh-huh'. 

My eyes narrowed at his flighty behavior, lifting a finger, and curling it into a flicking position-

-and aimed my newly acquired strength training right into his unsuspecting elbow. __

Jiraiya howled in pain, his arm spasmed yeeting the toy across the store where it bounced against the wall speaking pitifully. 

"Ow!" He rubbed his not so funny bone. "What the hell was that for? I was paying attention!" Tsume let out a snort of laughter.

"Are you sure that's what you were doin'?"

"Yes, I'll have you know! I'm being a dutiful older brother by accompanying my distressed sister through her hardships." He sniffed at the feral woman. 

"Eh? Siblings?" Tsume stuck her nose out, sniffing at Jiraiya and myself curiously. "When the hell did you get a sister?" 

"I found her when I got lost in River country." My previous sadness abated slowly, I stifled a laugh. 

"I think he means I found him!" My fingertips glowed a soft periwinkle, I pressed them to his arm. Oh! Wow, I was getting better at controlling my chakra, my flick had fractured his humorous! "This buffoon, wound up unconscious from chakra exhaustion and I had to nurse him back to health." 

"Is that the little jaunt you took back in the second war?" Jiraiya heaved a heavy sigh, this had obviously been a well tread subject if he was so exasperated by it already. 

"It's not like I wanted it to happen!" He whined, messing idly with the larger shaped toys. Tsume didn't question further but rolled her eyes. 

"You smell like parchment, oil, and toads." Tsume turned from Jiraiya to me, sticking her nose closer to the junction of my neck than should be socially comfortable with just meeting someone for the first time. 

All shinobi, and their various backgrounds were bound to have their own acceptable societal norms, so I don't know why I floundered with a women who acted more like pack animal than human. 

I should have expected this. 

"I've never smelled anything like you before." She stated curiously, pulling back with a pensive look on her face. "You smell more of oil, faintly of toads and I can't put my finger on the last thing." Her lips pursed, Kuromaru nosed at my thigh curiously. 

I jumped at the cold nose touching my thigh, the hound gave an annoyed huff before returning back to Tsume's side. 

"That's… odd." Jiraiya offered, with a brow raised. 

"No matter, I'll get back to you when I figure it out, you toads are an acquired taste." Tsume sniffed. Jiraiya gave an affronted gasp, and her blunt words caused me to laugh. 

"I'll have you know, toads are wonderful company to keep!" 

"Doubtful." She muttered under her breath, and Kuromaru gave an affirming huff. 

Leaving them to their squabbling I turned my attention once again to the colorful toys before me. They came in various different sizes and shapes, but none of them seemed right. Crouching down to my knees, a burst of blue caught my attention. 

Breath caught in my throat as I fumbled forward pulling a textured ball from beneath others. It was circular shaped, just big enough to nestle into my palm, with raised abstract ridges for gripping. 

_ This is what I had been looking for. _

I rolled it beneath my fingers to gauge its give, it would be a waste to have him just destroy it in a couple of minutes. 

"Oh! Those are very popular for their durability." Tsume confirmed, as if reading my mind. 

"Ah, I was worried about that." I gave her a bashful smile, and a brief nod. It took quite a bit of pressure to squeak it- a shrill noise of the balls squeak made Jiraiya jump. "Its perfect." It was, it made me reminiscent of time spent at a park throwing a ball for hours. 

I understood every toy was different but this reminded me so much of the toys I used to have for Bean.

"It's perfect." I said again, with a more relaxed genuine smile gracing my face. 

* * *

"Tsuna-chan~ I know you said you'd like to go drinking with me, but I didn't think you'd quite literally drag me to a bar." I whined at the woman, subtly reinforcing my shoulder with chakra so she couldn't yank it from the socket. 

"Well, you were bound to come up with some excuse to miss it, I just saved us the trouble." She kissed her teeth in annoyance. 

"You've only asked me one time!" I exclaimed in exasperation. 

"One time too many." Tsunade grumbled under her breath. I surrendered myself to my fate, peering up at the evening sky as beautiful oranges and pinks streaking across the sky. 

"I've been training, I've got a lot to catch up on." She stopped walking suddenly, turning toward me as my face plowed into her unprotected chest. 

Ah, how delightful!

"You do understand that there is a such thing as too much training right?" 

Er, was there? 

"Too muh twaining?" I said, my voice muffled. 

"Is there an echo here?" She peered around us and down a darkened alley dramatically. "Yes, too much training!" Grasping the hair on the base of my head to remove my from her chest, only to flick my forehead. 

There was a soft crack, and the force of her flick sent me sprawling to the ground. My vision went blurry before there were specs of light dancing above me. 

That fucking hurt, tough love much? 

"Shinobi have an increased healing compared to those that don't have refined chakra use, that doesn't mean you should run yourself into the ground everyday! Haven't you ever heard of self care? Honestly!" 

Oh, This really was tough love. How sweet, I only wished she could show that she cared about me in a way that didn't hurt me physically.

I hopped up quicker then should be possible wrapping my arms around her neck, and shoving her face into my chest, cooeing happily. 

"Tsuna-chan! I knew you cared about me!"

"Ack- Where is dat cohming fwom?" She gingerly pushed me back, displacing her face from my chest and placing her pale green hand over my forehead. "Of course I do you idiot." She grumbled at me. 

"Tsuna~!" I whined leaning into her touch, the feeling of warm minty sake soothed my encroaching headache. 

"Yeah yeah, I heard you the first time, let's go." Tsunade twirled on her heel, darting into the first bar we came across. The smell of tobacco curled along my tongue and the scent of alcohol sent nostalgia washing over me. 

"Have you ever gambled before?" She inquired curiously with a lilt of her eyebrows, Tsunade strode forward and slid into a stool by the bar. 

"Uh, no." I was quick to mimic her, eyes quickly glossing over faces, escape routes, windows. 

The bar seemed to be a central point in the establishment, but I felt uneasy about having my back toward the door. Tsunade seemed indifferent, and wholly focused on drinking, so I trusted her judgment and slid into the stool beside her. 

"I'm not much of a socialite, previously all I did was work and sleep with the exception of reading on occasion." Reading being, various Narutoverse facts, other anime, and even fanfics. 

But, I don't think she'd necessarily find all of that too interesting. A fox like smirk crawled across her face, and honey colored eyes gleamed with mirth. 

"You're going to learn today." She turned from me to the bar keep who wandered over to us. The women was covered head to toe in scars and was missing an eye. 

"What can I get 'ye?" 

"A bottle of warmed sake please." A lone coal eye darted from Tsunade to me, and she gave a scoff before turning back to the slug princess. 

"Don't worry Senju-hime, I've got 'yer barrel ready for 'ya." The women shuffled off to procure said barrel, my eyes grew to size of saucers as the women hauled the barrel to the countertop. 

Heh, I'm in danger. 

* * *

"Ria, Tsunade, get off of the bar!" 

This isn't how Orochimaru planned to spend his night. He had been making so much progress on his latest pet project when he had been summoned by a stray chunnin to come collect his wards. 

Immediately his heart leapt in his chest thinking one of his genin had gotten injured in some sort of training incident. Never minding the fact they shouldn't have been training without his watchful eyes present to prevent any injury from ever occurring. 

But, he was getting off topic here. 

No, the summons was not for his team, but his own  _ idiotic _ teammate and whatever Ria's official label was- acting like fools.  _ Drunken  _ fools in front of a plethora of creatins eyeing the women like they were a delicious sight. 

Orochimaru swallowed a hiss that was making its way through his throat, when one of the patrons reached forward to cup a handful of flesh-

_ Why were they missing articles of clothing?  _

His hand had suffered a particularly nasty spasm that left his  _ fellow _ shinobi screaming in agony as he curled around his bloody stump.

"Tsunade, Ria, get off of the bar,  _ now."  _ This time he did hiss his displeasure. His own presence makes other patrons suddenly much more interested in their own things. 

"Oro-  _ hic… _ Orochi!" Tsunade stumbled forward, blonde hair billowing freely from its usual twin tails. He grasped the woman lowering her from the bar, guiding her to the stool. "D-dr-  _ hic _ ...rink with u-us!" She slurred out laying her head atop of his upper arm. 

"Absolutely not, I will not enable you in any regard." He chided, sliding off his haori and draping it over her bare shoulders fastening it around her waist.

Well, that was one issue taken care of.

Craning his head to the white haired women who, was speaking loudly, blubbering in some language he had never heard, gyrating body parts he wasn't aware of could  _ move _ like that. 

"Come Opheria, that's enough." His hands curled around her waist as he plucked the woman easily off of the bar, sitting her beside Tsunade. 

"We're going, c'mon let's go." He began to make shooing motions toward the doors of thr bar.

Mildly annoyed by the situation, but not surprised when he was ignored when the woman latched onto one another, cackling like the witches they were. 

Of course, this would be the moment that Jiraiya had burst through the doors of the bar like the frantic lunatic he was.

"I got here as fast as I could." He huffed drawing in ragged puffs of air. "Wha-?" Ria squealed something inhuman before launching herself at the toad sage, he had to reinforce the sole of his feet with chakra to prevent himself from falling over. 

"They're drunk." Orochimaru offered succinctly. Jiraiya's eyes widened, darting from Tsunade to his pseudo sister in his arms. 

"Where are their clothes?" The snake sannin shrugged, because there were no stray articles laying about. 

Jiraiya able to pry the woman off of his chest and draped his haori over Ria's shoulders, leaving coal colored eyes to glare at anyone bold enough to meet his eyes. 

"An-  _ hic _ aniki!!" Ria stuttered out, her voice slurred with the presence of alcohol flooding her system.  _ "Tsuna challenged me to a drinking contest!"  _

"I have no idea what she's saying, she has been talking like that since I got here. At least she isn't yelling anymore." Orochimaru relented. Further annoyed by the fact that they would be here all night if they had to wait for the intoxicated women to leave on their own. 

Bending at the knees he swiftly knocked Tsunade's legs from under her, and she fell into his awaiting arms with a laugh. 

"Yeah, that's her mother tongue." Jiraiya quickly followed Orochimaru's lead, throwing Ria over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. 

Said woman also squealed and began talking a mile a minute. When Jiraiya used Kotoba no Kabe, the jutsu made it so Ria could understand his dialect of Japanese, but the toad sage himself was ignorant of the words she spoke in his tongue. 

"I don't recognize it." Orochimaru commented as he walked briskly from the restaurant, he crouched and with a controlled burst of chakra he leapt onto the rooftop heading toward the Senju compound. 

"Fukasaku and Shima called the language English, apparently it was an old Kumo dialect." With this admission the snake sannin stilled on the landing of a roof to look over at the toad sage. 

"You're telling me that Ria has the knowledge of a dead language and you didn't think the village would be able to covet it into code?" Jiraiya blinked, as if only now just realizing the implications of knowing and understanding a dead language. 

"...no." 

"You're absolutely hopeless baka." 

"Oi!"

* * *

A dull rhythmic throbbing of my head, woke me, the quite hum of wind rustling between branches sounded like a tornado to my over sensitized head. 

A weary groan left my lips, and warmth beside me shifted. Something instinctual made me want to burrow into the warmth and try to go back to sleep. 

I felt like death warmed over. 

"Stop fucking breathing so goddamn loud." A feminine voice snapped at me. 

Wait, what the fuck was I doing sleeping next to Tsunade? 

With energy I most certainly didn't have, I blinked exhausted eyes open. Biting back another groan from the piercing brightness of the morning sun. 

Ugh, this is why I don't drink. 

I raised my hand to my head, it glowed a soft warming periwinkle. The moment my hand made contact with my forehead it was like an ice pack had been placed there. 

I sighed in relief as the rhythmic throbbing that pulsed in time with my heart beat seemed to slowly fade away. Flailing my other hand, reaching for my bed mate. My periwinkle hand found purchase of a cheek- the inhumane hiss the action garnered was quickly transformed into a relieved sigh as her hangover too faded. 

"We're never doing that again." I whined pitifully, pulling my hand away from my head to attempt opening my eyes again.

"What happened? I don't remember anything." Tsunade grumbled, shaking off my hand to sit up. 

"I remember you making me drink~" 

"Oh stop! You wanted to just as much as I did." 

"I've never had that much sake before." I take it back, It's not that I didn't drink, I enjoyed drinking a couple times a month but wines and whiskeys were my go to. The point of those occasional drinks was not to get obliterated, but I digress. "You're right, I did want it so bad, now I can cross off that I out drank the legendary sucker."

" _ The what?"  _ She snarled, fingers curling in my hair. 

"Ow ow ow! Tsuna-chan be nice to me!" 

"I'm not that bad at gambling!" 

"Pft, you got that skill set from your gramps, sorry hime!" 

"Oi!" Her eyes blinked sluggishly, blinking away the sleep from her eyes. "Why the hell are you covered in flour?" 

"Covered in-?" I looked down at the navy haori that swamped my form that was.indeed covered in flour and other ingredients. It took only a moment to realize that this was Jiraiya's haori, and not my own and I could feel my face  _ pale _ . My head jerked toward Tsunade and she was swaddled in a haori marked for Ryūchi cave.

I gave a started squeak and pointing at her in surprise. 

"You're wearing Oro-chans haori!" 

"Eh?" She looked down at her top, her face tinted red in embarrassment and she tore from the futon- actually… I turned curiously taking in my surroundings and was kind of shocked to see that we were in the living room. 

It was also at this moment that I noticed the empty bowl and whisker next to me on the floor. 

_ Oh no.  _

Did I…? 

I scrambled quickly from the living room into the kitchen, ignoring Tsunade's quiet exclaim of surprise. 

_ Behold, paradise _ . 

Various baked goods lined every available surface within the kitchen, scones, muffins, and even cookies. The smell within the room was positively mouth watering, and I could faintly make out our stomachs growling. 

"Onee-chan! Ria-bachan! Good morning, someone made breakfast!" The sunshine of the Senju compound called to us between bites of his muffin. 

"Did you-?" Tsunade looked from me, to Nawaki to the two other tiny ninjas beside the boy? I ignored her for trying to figure out why the rugrats looked so familiar. 

My morning brain struggled to comprehend any coherent thought, I needed coffee.

"Ria-bachan?" A tiny blonde pipped up, my name being called made me focus on the munchkins crowding around the kitchen table. "You must be the aunty Nawaki has been talking about! Sorry I haven't been by sooner to introduce myself. My name is Senju Mebuki!" Another young teen, eye catching burgundy hair parted five distinct ways gave a jaunty wave. 

"Ohayo! My name is Haruno Kizashi, I'm the teammate to these two, it's nice to meet you." 

Okay, wow, there's a lot to unpack there. Not only were Kizashi and Mebuki, Nawaki's teammates. But, Mebuki was actually Senju? Headcanon confirmed. I always had a sneaking suspicion that Sakura had trace Senju and Uzumaki lineage, it was nice to have concrete evidence now. 

"Uh, hello." I gave a halfhearted wave. "As this pipsqueak said my name is Ria, but you can just call me Ria-bachan." I jutted a thumb to Nawaki who glared at me, the effect was lost on his cheeks that were currently doing a phenomenal rendition of chipmunks. 

"Ah, you two are awake. About time you've woken up, any longer and I would have woken you up myself." A gentle breeze and snake scales brushed against my chakra, and my own reciprocated the greeting to the snake sannin. 

"Orochimaru- Sensei!" The mans face softened minutely as his gaze shifted toward the tiny ninjas. 

"Good Morning, I hope you haven't eaten too heavy of a breakfast or you'll be regretting it shortly." Nawaki looked pained, fingers inching toward another pastry. "Well? What are you brats waiting for? Go warm up." 

"Can't we stay for breakfast? I'm so hungry!" Mebuki whined, looking as dejected as her cousin. Kizashi flopped onto the ground beside his teammates groaning dramatically. 

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes at the children. Beside me, Tsunade seemed more collected and much more awake, chuckled at their naivety. 

"Oh? So you want to eat food that you've never seen before?" He gestured toward the delicious smelling pastries. 

The teens nodded eagerly, eyes growing wide with excitement. 

"Did you test it for poisons before you ate anything?" They shook their heads no, looking around at the food more cautiously. "You must always remember to check food for impurities, just because this is your home doesn't mean someone couldn't have poisoned it." Que the children paling. 

"Did we just eat poison?!" Mebuki screeched, shaking Nawaki dramatically, the poor boy began to turn green from the actions. 

"I don't know, did you? Do you even know who made these?" Orochimari raised a dark brow, resting a hand on his hip. "Eating food that wasn't prepared in front of you is also a red flag." 

"I'm gonna be sick." Nawaki groaned, his admittance got Mebuki to end her rough housing. Again, she gave a terrified screech and dive behind Kizashi. 

"You better not puke on me you hear?!" 

"Not so loud 'Me-chan." Kizashi whined, moving to assist his teammate who was slowly turning back to his normal tone. 

"I don't know who made these! I've never seen anything like them before, they sure are yummy though!" 

"Muffins, those are muffins." I finally spoke up, laughing lightly at the looks in their faces. "These here are scones, and those are cookies." 

"Ria-bachan, did you make these then?" 

"Oh yeah! You are covered in white stuff!" Tsunade gave a bark of laughter, scooping one of the scones. 

"I don't really remember baking, but, yeah no doubt it was me. Whenever I drink I often get the urge to cook." I plopped down by the kotatsu grabbing a banana walnut scone and happily dug in. "These sweets are what I grew up on." 

"So cool! I've never tasted anything like these Ria-bachan!" 

"Some of these look different, are they different flavors?" 

"Goodeye Haruno-chan, this one is cinnamon apple pecan, lemon blueberry, and the one I'm eating here is banana walnut." The kids gave soft sounds of interest. 

It didn't take long before they grew more inquisitive about the other treats, it was a morning well spent reminiscing about other treats from her home. 

To her delight, she now had three very willing taste testers anytime she wanted to try something from her home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is just me going to be ranting here for a sec, please be advised while reading this for those who might get triggered easily... but I just need to get it off my chest? I wasn't planning in writing the bar scenario, but I wanted to fit in Orochimaru doing a protecc because in this fiction he seems to be a huge comfort character for me? 
> 
> I work in a profession that active deals with clients in rather intimate situations. I was put in an incredibly uncomfortable situation where a client got to... I don't know how to describe it- but it really shook me up, and left me feeling pretty lost. I'm okay, but just- this story is pretty self indulgent... so I really wanted comfort Orochi. 
> 
> I guess this just show the dynamic they have even if they aren't aware of it. 
> 
> Anywhore, thanks for stopping by to see what's happening. Let me know what you think?


	11. I was hungry while writing this.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shikachi roasts Ria. 
> 
> Ria learns a new thing.
> 
> Hiruzens a closet pervert.
> 
> Sakumo struggles with Hatake instincts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had such a writer's block with this chapter. I absolutely love writing but there are times that for the life of me I can't think of a word I want to use and I makes me soooo mad that I need to step back from writing. 
> 
> On the bright side, I've got multiple one shot spinoffs drafted for this story, including but not limited too; Time Travel (Past/Canon), A/B/O, and Crossovers (BNHA and Haikyuu) but contain major spoilers so probably won't be released until more of the stroy is written. 
> 
> Thank you for all the Kudos and Hits, I'm floored with the responsive this fic has gotten! 
> 
> Oh, this Chapter was also inspired by the Glitch Mob Remix of The White Stripes; Seven Nation Army.

I don't know how he knew, but he did.

"Torifu-san, please it's not-" 

"Absolutely not!" The cat man bellowed, his baritone voice carrying the weight of his command, his chakra thrummed angrily beneath his skin. "As the current leader of the Akimichi, I cannot in good faith take the recipes from your home land without compensation!" 

"Honestly, please-" my hands splayed, in a gesture hoping to placate the man. It was still far too early in the morning for there to be yelling of any kind. 

Shortly after the munchkins had left, and I dragged myself into the baths to not only cleanse my soul of a night of drinking heavily, but my body of the remnants of food. 

Let it be known that I was enthusiastic about anything regarding cooking, it did not mean I wasn't incredibly messy. That is, if the fruits I'd discovered in my hair were supposed to be there. 

I was just passionate about food?

It was also well known that Akimichi were also passionate about food. Torifu, who had been walking on the outskirts of the village on his way to the tower when he smelt my baking. 

I'll admit, I was pretty naive to the full capabilities of what chakra could enhance. 

Sure, I'd been able to witness first hand through the anime the extent of I knew enough under my training with Tsunade that the five senses could all be subtly enhanced and strengthened. It took a lot of time, effort, and repetitive training. 

To one Akimichi Torifu, who unbeknownst to me had the nose of a bloodhound. He was now incredibly eager for me to work with the Akimichi clan to help recreate these foreign recipes for their restaurants. 

"If you're not comfortable working in the restaurants with the Akimichi-" it's not that I wasn't comfortable, of the Akimichi I had met in passing they all seemed to be relatively friendly. They did not mess around with their restaurants or their food, and I, some foreign women with no shinobi background working in an Akimichi's domain? 

I had no idea how I would be able to keep up with it, having heard horror stories of the serving industry I very politely, but firmly vetoed any offers to work within Akimichi kitchen's. 

"Please don't take it the wrong way Torifu-san, I would absolutely love to work with the Akimichi, I just don't think I would do well under pressure of working in a kitchen." The man, unbothered by my rather flustered admission waved me off jovially. 

"Nonsense! It's not for everyone, I know we previously spoke about trading recipes! But, what if the Akimichi were to buy your recipes from you?"

"Buy my recipes?" I parroted in response. 

"Exactly! It would be beneficial to atleast watch you prepare it once, but the recipes themselves should suffice!" The cat man lovingly held a half eaten scone in his hand, cherishing it like one of the world lost treasures. 

I thought the Yamanaka were supposed to be the dramatic ones. Scratching the back of my neck idly, I pondered if selling them recipes would be a bad thing. 

If I were to sell them some recipes, I would be able to revisit some comforts from home anytime if the Akimichi liked the recipes. I wouldn't have to deal with cleaning my own kitchen, Torifu already offered his private one within the Akimichi compound. 

Another win, washing and cleaning were therapeutic, but a pain in the ass if you were tired. And I, someone who enjoyed making comfort foods, was liable for a food coma after eating. 

You know, the more I thought about this, there didn't seem to be much of a negative to selling recipes. Despite being new to the village I had yet to find any work, my time within the sensory division was soon to begin and I was restless for work. As weird as it sounded, I didn't consider training work. 

Coming from a different culture had its lingering effects here, the restlessness to work had gotten on Tsunade's nerves multiple times. When I told the Senju that as soon as I started working I'd move out of their compound and I appreciated them offering me to stay here in the meantime. 

She'd glare at me, eyes narrowed. Telling me to shut the hell up, and that I was welcome to live there as long as I'd like. Which, if I was being honest, I don't know if I truly ever wanted to leave the Senju compound. 

Their occupancy had dwindled over the years thanks to Danzo's meddling, and to my understanding neither of the Senju siblings were eager for me to go anywhere. 

I suppose it was time to step up, and help pull my weight then, and if that had to be cooking and recalling recipes in the meantime then so be it. 

"If we were to do this, what would it entail?" I finally spoke up, the man actually bloomed at my question. His chakra sparkled and fizzled happily, Torifu knew he had won me over. 

"I know just what we need, come come!" 

Torifu wasted no time dragging me from the Senju compound to one I had only gotten to see in passing, I clutched a basket full of the assorted treats close to my chest. 

"Torifu-san, where are we going?" 

"Ah, my apologies. I suppose I should have offered more of an explanation before we left?" Torifu had slowed, taking a more sedate pace he released my arm to walk beside me. "I'm not too in the loop of your time before this." I nodded my head in understanding, that was one way to phrase it I supposed. "But are you familiar with the Ino-Shika-Cho clans correct?" 

"Yes, I know that the Ino-Shika-Cho clans have a close knit relation that spans generations?" 

"Excellent! This will save us so much time then. My generation of Ino-Shika-Cho consisted of Yamanaka Inohiro, and Nara Shikachi." I bobbed my head briefly, to show I was listening. The man waved happily at the shinobi stationed at the front of the compound, the shadow walker merely bobbed his head in greeting. "They are also the current heads of their clans and I've already been in contact with Shikachi to personally set up a contract for us?" 

"A Contract?" I parroted, my voice pitched high in surprise. This caused some of the Nara lounging about to watch the Akimichi and the unknown women, with their chakra shifting curiously. 

The Nara felt like cool shadows, shades of gray and black shifting and rippling. It felt cooler here than any other part of the village, it was nice if it ever got too hot during the summer. 

I could easily see myself hiding out here in the shade. 

Torifu gave a boisterous laugh, striding confidently up to a house sequestered near bracketing forests, and sparse looming tree's that gave way to tall rolling grasses. A pulse of chakra showed me what my eyes failed to see, in the field there was a dozen signatures of animal like chakra. Their chakra system wasn't very well refined and the use of chakra itself was minimal, but there was an intelligence that seemed to resonate from them. 

Knowing where I was, immediately connected the dots that these signatures must be the deer the Nara herd. I stood there in awe, struggling not to brush my chakra against theirs- I wasn't sure the Nara would approve of an outsider messing with their herd. 

"-ifu, what have I told you about being so loud in the compound?" Torifu spluttered, shoving senbei into his mouth instead of answering. The Nara, Shikachi-? Turned toward me with an eyebrow raised. I felt like I was looking into an older Shikaku, the man looked to be nearly an exact carbon copy of the man his son would be one day. Minus the scars that would mar his face.

"You must be Ria." I raised a hand to wave it, shyly. 

"Nara Shikachi? Torifu-san was just telling me about you. Sorry to drop by unannounced, oh I also have snacks!" I hoisted my basket up for him to see said snacks. 

His chakra thrummed curiously, like his clanmates his shadow chakra felt kin to a dark warm void shifting just beneath his skin ready to be called upon at a moments notice. Hesitantly, my own brushed against his in greeting. 

He tilted his head curiously, coal eyes appraising my every move. Just like the animal they were kin too, the intelligence behind his eyes told me he would have my darkest secrets aired in no time. 

I really truly hoped I wouldn't have to keep my origins from the Nara, they'd know I was lying the moment I opened my mouth. In the scant months I spent preparing myself for the shinobi lifestyle, I was wholly unprepared for the Nara intellect. 

"Another loud one eh?" Torifu and I sweatdropped, I placed my hand over my mouth in shame. "I Suppose it can't be helped." The man grumbled stepping back and waving us inside. "Torifu let me know you two would be by, he just failed to mention when that would be." 

"I didn't think I'd be by today either! It just happened to work out that way!" The robust cat man stated quietly despite his exuberance in enunciation. 

"How bothersome." Shikachi grumbled, his slouched form led us through the house and into a back room that overlooked foraging deer and an expansive garden that I'd bet the Yamanaka had a hand in creating. He gestured toward the other side of the low table for us to sit. On the table scrolls and other parchment were already laid out and waiting. "Sit."

It was astounding how quickly Torifu and I sat, without a word we looked toward the man. I pursed my lips, staying quiet beside Torifu so we didn't end up getting called loud again. His face conveyed vague annoyance, but his eyes twinkled with amusement at how easily he commanded us. 

Wait, actually, was Shikachi the Jōnin commander? It would most certainly explain his quiet, but commanding presence.

I'd eat my shoe if he wasn't.

"You are new to Konoha." Coal eyes met chartreuse, and I swallowed dryly and nodded.

"I am, I'm from the land of rivers. Kin to Jiraiya, and recently appointed chūnin." He gave a soft hum, eyes appraising my form. 

"You are not from the land of rivers, and I doubt you are kin to Jiraiya." I stiffened in my seat. "Given how poorly you carry yourself, you're better off as a career gennin." 

I sucked in a startled breath in surprise to his comment, It felt like ice had been directly injected into my veins. One sentence out of my mouth, and this man tore me absolutely apart. Is it too late to have the ground just swallow me up whole? 

Well, I guess that answers that question then.

Torifu spluttered in embarrassment, face burning crimson in mortification. 

"Shikachi! Why would you say that? Hokage-sama-" Shikachi waved away the rest of his comment and rolled his eyes. 

"Hokage-sama already filled me in, don't bother." If anything this caused Torifu to become more exasperated, the giant man heaved a sigh and deflated into his seat. "Inohiro will have his work cut out with you no doubt, you're too expressive, fidget too much, and your chakra unhinged, broadcasting every emotion your face barely hides." 

I… Holy shit. I honestly had no words. I mean, he wasn't _wrong_ but it didn't mean he had to say it. 

"See, like that right there. You're not even mad, you're in awe, I cannot fathom why." 

"I've been training to be a shinobi for the past six months." Was my oh so not smooth attempt to explain myself. My hand reached up to scratch the back of my neck before I forced it to relax again. "I was raised a civilian medic, and I'm just getting familiar with my chakra use… Thank you for your feedback, I will work on it." Because honestly what else could I possible say?

Thank you sir, could you please insult me again? 

No, bad. We're not going there.

With a deep sigh, I attempted to collect myself. Coaxing my stiffened form to relax, I reigned in my chakra, pulling it, and guiding it back into my core. I shivered at the abrupt feeling, the temperature within the room seemed much colder than before. 

The two men's eyes widened as they appraised my form. 

"What are you doing?" Shikachi narrowed his eyes at me. Torifu merely stared with mouth agape, with eyes just as wide. 

"D-did I do something wrong? I thought you said I needed to reign in my chakra?" 

"Reign in, not smother entirely, child you've erased your signature." I fought a flinch as the full force of Shikachi's dark shadowy chakra brushed against me, leaving goose bumps sprouting up where it touched.

"I've never seen someone able to obscure their signature, so thoroughly outside of ANBU. Now, let trace amounts of your chakra to course through your network." I closed my eyes to allow myself to concentrate, I grasped at threads coaxing a sliver of my chakra from my core and let it course through my body. 

I shivered again as the warmth of chakra again flowed through me taking the cold bite from the air. 

"You are maintaining what's normal of a civilian, or a child with an untrained chakra system. It would be beneficial for you to start emulating this." 

I gave a hesitant nod, my poor ego had been pulverized by the head of an intelligence clan in less than five minutes. I was unsure why no one previously had told me my chakra had been so ostentatious. It certainly wasn't what I was intending to come across as. 

I guess I still had a long way to go, and I could only take the criticism as what I was and work harder. 

Shikachi gave a sigh, giving an assured nod to himself before turning toward Torifu.

"Now, what is it you were hoping to set up in regards to a contract?" Torifu gulped, the once boisterous man had settled into a no nonsense attitude.

"The Akimichi would like to create a contract with Ria, for the opportunity to use her western styled dishes." 

"How bothersome, it should be simple enough." Shikachi began to rifle through some scroll before he produced the one he wanted. "Alright, here is what I have so far-" Unrolling the scroll partially he set it down before Ria and Torifu. 

They sat for hours painstakingly combing through the legalities of a contract between the Akimichi and myself. Ria, sage of Mount Myōboku chūnin of Konoha would only sell recipes to the Akimichi, asking for her loyalty and trading only with them. 

Unlike when it came from my time in _'the before'_ the contract that Shikachi made, and Torifi and I agreed too was a lot less cut throat than what I had been anticipating. 

I made yums, if Akimichi liked yums, they bought the yums. 

Pretty cut and dry. 

They offered a pretty penny, and I'd be a fool to turn down what the Akimichi had offered me, _plus_ the signing bonus Torifu personally added?

First thing was first, pester Orochimaru to help me understand currency, he seemed like the most sensible choice to go to. Not I, letting a gambling sannin hold onto yen for me. 

"Do you have any questions?" Shikachi asked, his poor back had become more hunched the longer we sat, and I was dumbfounded how the man was at all comfortable. 

_Yes_.

"No, I think that about sums it up for me here." My evergreen eyes darted toward a happy Akimichi nibbling a cookie. "You should try dunking that in milk, I can promise you an otherworldly experience." Torifu, who must have been in some half conscious food coma snapped into awareness, and gave Shikachi the biggest puppy dog eyes I had ever seen. 

"Tch, how bothersome." The Nara heaved himself up, and disappeared into the house. 

Taking a moment to reflect, my gaze carried out to the trees that swayed carelessly in the breeze. Giving a soft hum, my hands folded below my bust and my fingers clasped around my upper arms. 

A tiny light bulb blossomed above my head, unaware of the customs within within village perhaps would now be a good time to make them aware of my tattoos? My fingers tapped against the skin in thought.

I'd much rather make them aware of this, before I decided to forgo long sleeves and word get back through the grapevine about the ink coloring my skin. 

"Ano, Torifu?" The catman stilled in his seated happy dance, raising a brow in question. "How does the village perceive tattoos?" 

"Tattoo's?" The robust man folded his arms across his chest in thought, accepting the glass Shikachi held out to him. 

"Tattoos are not very common within the village." Shikachi spoke as he situated himself on his previously vacated cushion. "While tattoos are common for clan markings like Akimichi-" he lifted a hand to gesture at Torifus cheeks. "-and Inuzuka, it's something you will see more of in coastal villages." He continued, humming in thought. "Like Uzushio, and Hidden Mist" 

"It's not something necessarily frowned upon if that's what you're concerned of." Torifu said after a few moments of hesitation. "Do you have tattoos?" 

"Ah, actually I have quite a few." If by a few, I mean the _entire_ left side of my body then sure 'a few'. 

"You hide them quite well, I had no idea! Show us!" 

"You see, there is actually a reason I asked this." I shifted nervously on my knees, fiddling with my Obi. " _In the before_ , it was very common to get a tattoo that signifies something symbolic to you, and for me certain clans represented things that were important and resonated with my life." For me, Ino-Shika-Cho represented unity and camaraderie outside of family. Where one would lead the other two clans would slowly follow, and that kind of faith to place in another was unparalleled from what I grew up with. 

Those only looking to further themselves, tearing apart anyone and anything that stood in the way of _their_ happiness. Whereas to me, the bond of Ino-Shika-Cho represents trusting someone mind, body and soul. 

Sliding my haori from my shoulder, removing my chest plate, and loosening my obi. My Kimono fell from my shoulder, revealing beautiful and intricate works of ink, geometric shaded designs, to caricatures of other prominent animes. Taking a steady breath to calm myself, I turned to the side to show them the Ino-Shika-Cho clan insignia hiding on the back of my upper arm. 

Torifu gave a soft inhale of surprise, I stiffened at the feel of a roughened fingertip rovering over the partially raised skin from where the ink laid. Silence fell over the room, and I was unsure if I made the right decision of telling them. 

"I'm sorry, I hope this doesn't change anything, I just thought it would be important to know before anyone were to say anything about it." 

"It's beautiful work." The sturdy Akimichi spoke his chakra billowed around him, broadcasting his approval, of sun warmed earth wrapped around me like a hug, and I couldn't help but relax into the familiar sensation. 

"As a noble clan of Konoha, I'm proud to see our clan insignia on another's skin." I looked up at him in honest surprise. "Now, I'm not just saying this because we signed a contract with one another." He gave a boisterous, laugh. "No, it's because of everything you've done not only for us, but for Konoha as a whole that I'm proud that you think so fondly of us." I could only stare slack jawed at the man, warmth bloomed fully and previously controlled chakra had exploded into warmth oil lapping at the chakra of those within the room. 

"How bothersome, I guess you're not going to be doing any infiltration missions." He spoke with a smirk, despite his nonchalance, his chakra thrummed in tandem with Torifus. "Despite your… burgeoning shinobi career, it would be unbecoming not to recognize what you've done for Konoha; The Nara have no issues with our clan marking inked into your skin." 

I found it difficult to contain the rush of air that escaped me, as I imitated a tea kettle, cooing in my excitement I launched myself into Torifu's arms, attempting to wrap my arms around his expansive form. 

"Oi, before you go hugging kept men, perhaps you should situate your clothes." Now it was Torifu who gave a horrified squeak he lurched away causing me to tumble to the ground. 

"Owie, if you wanted a hug Shika-chan all you had to do was ask." I whined at the man as I slid articles of clothing back into place. 

"That's Shikachi- _san_ to you Gama-chan." 

* * *

My head snapped to the shoji doors, where a obscured chakra signature was moving high-speed toward the Nara compound. A subtle flare of chakra alerted the trio for the ANBU messenger.

"You've been summoned to the Hokage tower Akimichi-sama, Nara-sama." The ANBU knelt before them, with their head bowed and fist resting against the ground. 

"Tell Saru we're on our way!" Torifu chirped happily, he began to gather his belongings. Shikachi gave a single nod, and the messenger disappeared. 

"Ah, well, thank you for taking the time to write up the contract Shikachi-san." I flashed him a brilliant dimpled smile, the man sighed slouching inwards. "Would you like the rest of these as thanks?" I gestured to the basket full of sweets, namely the banana nut muffins the Nara had been eyeing. 

"If you'd like to leave it… I'll see to it the basket is returned to you."

"N-no! Wait but I thought… Mine?" The Akimichi wilted, pawing listlessly in the direction of the baked goods. 

I exhaled a laugh like snort, my hand slipped into my weapons pouch pulling out a storage scroll. Rolling it open gingerly and flashing my chakra another basket of baked goods popped out and I immediately handed it over toward Torifu, holding my fingers up to give pause. 

" _This_ is for the Hokage, and your fellow advisors." His eyes went wide as saucers, and he nodded his head eagerly. Happily extracting the basket from my grasp he offered a jovial wave, turning heel to make his way from the compound and toward the Hokage tower. 

"How bothersome." Shikachi offered a solemn nod before he too trailed after the Akimichi. 

Offering the men a two finger salute, I lingered in front of the Nara compound. Eyes idly rovering over shinobi bounding above me.

Recalling Shikachi's words in regards to my chakra control, learning to regulate it and if I could already smother it to a level that equaled ANBU I needed to hone that ability as much as possible. 

With a clear goal set, my feet began to lead me to an available training ground, taking familiar back alleys toward the most notable training ground in all of Konoha; no not the forest of death. 

The one with the tiny, brightly painted red Bridge that becomes a focal point for future shinobi, was there an opposite to nostalgia? Because merely standing in this training ground filled me with some type of longing, of what new could possibly come from the things that have been changed so far? 

Giving a content hum, I glanced around at the clearing to make sure the training ground was empty. A subtle flair of chakra confirmed that I was indeed alone, I began the tedious process of warming up, and combing through repetitive frog katas. 

It didn't take long before sweat poured down my mid sized form, the back of my neck tacky with fallen strands of snow colored hair clinging to my flushed skin. 

Timing everything _perfectly_ was difficult, combining frog kata with enhanced strength was a test to my chakra control. To be able to pulse my chakra enhanced strength in tandem with the swipes of frog that required intense control of senjutsu? 

Nara Shikachi's words had struck a cord with me today, and I was determined to prove that I deserved this rank. 

Settling into a familiar bullfrog stance, my fingers wrapped firmly around the hilt of my tanto. My breath rattled as I exhaled, forcing wisps and crackles of stagnant senjutsu from the soles of my feet into the ground below me, and the ground rumbled it's protest, by groaning and shifting. 

With my next inhale, senjutsu flooded my body in a familiar warmth caressing my skin, filling my lungs, sending tendrils of senjutsu mingling and melding with the chakra within me. Pulling both deep within my core it felt like a drum had begun beating low in my belly, and a familiar tempo blooming within my chest. 

I could feel a dangerous smirk crawled across my face at the sensation, and in time with the tempo, I took wisps of senjutsu and forced it to remain separate from my core lingering in my veins, and the properly melded sage chakra lingering in my chakra network and arteries. 

_Tsk, Tsk, Tsk._

Crouching low, my wrists flexed and the midnight colored blade glinted in the midday sun. 

_'... I'm gonna fight em' off..'_

Properly melded senjutsu pulsed, forcing the meticulously controlled chakra through the lower half of my body down my coiled legs to the balls of my feet and the very tips of my toes launching me across the training ground.

_Bum, Bum, Bum._

My sage green eyes narrowed on the wooden training post that earned my ire for the day, the warmth of sage chakra collected and coiled within my arms, trailing to my fingertips and began collecting along the tips of my tanto painting it an eerie periwinkle. 

_'...A seven nation army couldn't hold me back…'_

With an audible snap, my arms flexed and periwinkle coloring created light trails from each strike of my blade, sending the trails of lights careening forward with blinding speed toward the wooden post. 

_'... They're going to rip it off…"_

When the first flickers of chakra collided with the post, a thrum of satisfaction hummed within my veins. 

And then, when each piece of wood splintered and then _imploded_ leaving sawdust to flutter down, my body lurched- because that was only my first swipe with the blade. 

The remaining trails of lights continued headlong into their projected trajectories into the woods behind the post, felling trees and spontaneously imploding them. 

Would this be a bad time to remember just how terrifying Tsunade's strength is because…? 

It was at this time, something akin to awe slithered down my spine. The remnants of senjutsu chakra lingering within my veins, began to ebb and fade as I stared gobsmacked at the destruction mere swipes with my tanto had caused. 

"That was so cool Ria-basan!" My heart lurched in my chest as I whipped my head toward the voice that called out to me, a tiny Gai stood with his arms punching the air excitedly. "How did you do that?!" 

At speeds a toddler shouldn't possess, he cleared the space between us in mere seconds and launched his tiny body into my arms. I dropped my tanto in surprise-

Which how the fuck did I let not one but _two_ tiny ninjas to be sneak up on me?! 

-quickly wrapping my arms around his midsection and he burrowed his face within my neck, his tiny arms encasing my neck. Leaving me to cradle the boy against me as I stared at a very _tiny_ , pint sized Kakashi who surveyed the destroyed training ground. 

"I didn't know you could use chakra like that?!" Gai continued, despite my lack of response so far.

"Gai-chan! You snuck up on me!" My voice chirped once I collected myself, my fingers pulled lightly at the hidden beads beneath his thick mane. "Don't you know better than to sneak up on an active training ground?" I chastised him, setting him back on the ground. 

Gai looked sheepish, scratching the back of his head giving me a blinding smile. 

"Y-yeah, you're right! How unyouthful of me, I'll make it up to you I promise!" His large expressive eyes filled to the brim with tears. 

"That's not necessary, I just want you to be safe. What if some of the wood here cut you?" I gestured to the pile of wood chips that previously had been trees, eyes lingering on the other tiny figure that had slowly drifted closer. "Who is this joining you today Gai-chan?" 

The tears that had been previously forming in the boys eyes evaporated immediately, he launched himself at Kakashi with an excited shout. The silver haired boys eyes gleamed with annoyance as he expertly evaded his friend's tackle, causing Gai to disappear into a pile of sawdust. 

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers." 

My heart throbbed within my chest at the high, innocent voice that came from the boy. 

_He's so cute~ he so tiny, he really does kind of remind me of a puppy!_

"Of course, how silly of me." I offered a nervous chuckle, sliding my tanto from where it had embedded itself in the earth, and back into its sheath. "My name is Ofiria, but everyone calls me Ria! Gai-chan here calls me Ria-basan, and you are more than welcome to do so too." 

"What kind of name is that?" Eh? How can something so small, be filled with so much sass? Gai popped his head up, shaking it free of dust before loudly exclaiming. 

"Oi Kakashi! I think it's very pretty, it reminds me of the flower-" Kakashi rolled his coal colored eyes, crossing tiny arm across his chest. 

"Not that Gai, the first one, I've never heard a name like that before." I gave a soft chuckle, as it seemed to dawn on Gai that he too had never heard that name before. 

My head peered up at the position of the sun and deemed it safe enough for a quick break. 

"Tell you two what, it's about time for a break for me. Would you two like to join me for a quick snack?" Sliding my hand into my weapons pouch, pulling a familiar storage scroll out. A flare of chakra, and some scones and muffins popped into existence. 

Gai nodded eagerly with eyes gleaming brightly like gemstones, he darted toward a large tree with plenty of shade. I began to walk after to join him, only to turn back the Kakashi, who hadn't made motion to join us at all. 

Curiously, I held my hand out to him if he wanted to take it. Flinty coal eyes narrowed as he observed the extended extremity, his stance though seemed to have taken a more relaxed one. 

"Hatake Kakashi." He offered simply.

"It's nice to meet you 'Kashi-chan." I offered a bright dimpled smile, my warmed oil and toad chakra brushed against his and he stiffened at the sensation.

Slowly, his eyes became as relaxed as his stance, and he slouched inward of himself mirroring the confident man he would become one day. 

"I'm not a baby." I could feel my hand begin to slowly drop, a faux pout pulling my lips downward. 

Petite fingers wrapped around my own, and I couldn't help but melt. 

"I didn't say no." He continued, ears tinted pink, the lower half of his face unseen by the shuriken scarf wrapped around his neck, he bashfully nuzzled into it to avoid my gaze. 

"I never said you were, if you are anything like Gai-chan I'm sure you're going to be an excellent shinobi. I'm sure you'll fly right by me once you start school!" I trailed forward, the smaller boy walked at ease beside me only to let go once we joined aforementioned Gai in the shade. 

A tiny Gai preened at my praise, and was quick to dive into the baked goods once I had set them down. 

"I'm going to be a Taijutsu master!" He proclaimed, with a thumbs up and blinding smile. 

"I look forward to it." My chakra brimmed with pride, and wrapped around his tiny form. His megawatt smile just seemed to get brighter. "Help yourself to these, they are called scones, and muffins." My fingers pointed to emphasize which is which, and what flavors there were. 

"What are these Ria-bachan? I've never seen anything like them before?" Gai was quick to snag a cinnamon apple pecan muffin, and without any sort of hesitation quickly dug into the treat. Kakashi eyes him warily, waiting for the boy to keel over. 

"They are a treat from my home." I grabbed a banana walnut scone and handed it to Kakashi. "Try this and tell me what you think, these are not generally too sweet, were something eaten with a bitter drink from home." 

Kami did I miss coffee something fierce, Tea just wasn't it for me. 

...Unless it was sweet tea. 

"Home?" The silver haired boy questioned, sniffing curiously at the scone taking a small bite. 

"Ria-bachan ish new tew da village!" Gai spoke with adorable chipmunk cheeks, and mouthful of food.

"Be careful now, chew and swallow before you try speaking." Gai's face pinkened in embarrassment, he nodded eagerly, swallowing, and repeated his earlier statement.

"You are?" A small silver brow raised in question, I sighed taking a small bite of my own scone. 

"Ah, I am! I'm for the land of rivers, I happened to find out I had family within Konoha, and they extended an opportunity for me to join them here." 

"You're chakra is getting better! You can manifest jutsu now right?!" I wanted to coo at the boys, they were so very tiny and young, but so very smart for their age. 

"Ah, no not yet." I chewed thoroughly, eyes roving over the partially destroyed training grounds. "This is just raw chakra, and finite control." 

"Eh?!

"What?" They both whipped their heads in the same direction mine was. 

"I've been trying out a new technique-"

"You made your own jutsu Ria-basan?!" Gai bellowed, and Kakashi winced at the volume. 

"I… I don't think so? I just combined two-" 

"That's a new jutsu!" 

"...definitely a new jutsu." 

"Huh… well, alright then." My form turned back toward the boys. "Say, it's been very nice to see you two, but can you tell me why the both of you are out here alone?" Gai, being the innocent bean he was immediately looked toward Kakashi. 

"Ano… you see…?" 

"My rival thought he smelled something familiar!" Gai blurted out, immediately clasping his hands over his mouth in surprise. 

"Familiar?" He glared fiercely at Gai, but gave a tiny unsure nod. "And it led you to this training ground?" I scratched the back of my head curiously.

To my understanding, training ground three was one used often by Team 7, whether it was for the sannin, Jiraiya's pups- was he picking up on Minato? At this point in time I was unsure if they were aware of each other yet, Minato himself was only 14, so he still had some time yet before he was to 'canonically' take Kakashi beneath his wing. 

Kakashi's brow furrowed in confusion, he sniffed the air before shaking it in negative. 

"No, you." He paused, lowering the bun in his hand. "You smell familiar?" 

_Keep it together you big idiot, you're going to scare children if you just burst into tears._

This is it, this is the point in my life where I've decided this precious bean needs to be protected at all costs. I'll fight, anyone, rogues, missing nin, Madara himself if he _dared_ lay a hand on Kakashi, or Gai. 

"I find myself wandering the village often?" I questioned, because it must just be a scent he smelled from walking along the village? As much this tiny child saying something to teeth rotting cute, I had never met him before this and couldn't wrap my head around _why_ I'd smell familiar to him at all. 

"I… I don't remember from where, but that's not it." 

"Is there anything I could help you with then?" I offered, in place of anything else. The boys shared a look, the confusion of not knowing where he knew me from had all but faded, and a child like curiosity took hold. 

"Well… could you tell us stories about your home?" 

I heaved a sigh, what would be interesting for little ones to know about? I placed my finger on my chin in thought. 

"Ah, well, you put me on the spot here… hm, have either of you seen a train before?" 

"A train?" 

"There's one in the land of snow I think Otou-san said." Kakashi nodded sagely, and Gai stared in mild disbelief.

"Well, we had those but for the _sky."_

* * *

"Ah, Torifu, you're right on time come on in, is Shikachi with you?" Sarutobi called out after knuckles wrapped against the door to the Hokage office. 

"Yeah, I got em' right here!" Torifu threw the door open with a flourish, dragging the Nara into the room despite the mans grumbling. "I come bearing gifts from Ria-chan!" The robust catman set the basket on the table. 

Leaving his colleagues to peer onto the basket curiously. 

"What is it?" Kagami questioned, plucking a blueberry lemon muffin from its confines. 

"Why gentleman, you're looking at the first of many, many delights privy only to the Akimichi." The man boasted, incredibly proud of himself. Ria came to him, and by extension the Akimichi and he was _delighted_ to rub the gain of such an asset into their _faces._

"Oh? Did Ria-chan agree to a marriage contract with Akimichi?" Sarutobi asked, he too grabbed an apple muffin, with a pulse of diagnostic chakra took a bite of the treat.

Torifu froze mid stride as his brain began to process what his former teammate had said. 

"You know what, that's not a bad ide-"

"This is amazing!" The resident Uchiha and sweets expert proclaimed, eagerly snagging various cookies from the treasure trove of goods. 

"They're not bad." Sarutobi hummed, taking a sip of his tea to cleanse his palate, setting aside the rest for later. 

"I guess when Ria-chan drinks she likes to cook, apparently she got drunk last night and went on a baking spree." Torifu waved absently at trivial details, ignoring the sudden nosebleed the fire shadow himself sprouted. "These are the fruits of her labor!" He spread his arms in grandeur. 

Sakumo too plucked the apple scone from the basket, the sweet ripeness of apples danced across his senses, swirling delicately with cinnamon and toasted pecans. His taste buds positively exploded, and if he had a tail like his hounds it would be wagging happily. 

"I'll have to thank her for this the next time we see her, but getting to reason you gentlemen were called here." There was a shift, a subtle shift possible only to the professor himself, and the very authority his being commanded. 

"We have reason to believe that Sakumo was right." Hiruzen gave a heavy sigh, resting his weary head within his hands. "Not the idea of 'sleeper agents' but, there are still root agents roaming the fireside still carrying out Danzo's last orders." 

"Despite his death?" Shikachi asked, and at Sarutobi's nod he glared down at his Shogi board in contemplation. 

"We had an ANBU squad return today from patrols of smaller nations… bringing with them members wearing _our_ ANBU gear who had been _instigating_ fights along our boarders." Hiruzen's chakra raised and billowed dangerously, causing those within the room to straighten. 

"We're positive they're ours?" Sakumo questioned, the very thought of a packmate defying the orders of their leader caused his lip to curl in agitation. 

"Autopsies showed Danzo's cursed seal marring their tongues." Sarutobi confirmed. "Despite the ending of the second war, the mistrust between smaller nations still lingers and the fights among them haven't stopped." 

"You said they were instigating the fights amongst smaller villages?" Kagami asked, "it makes sense if they are attempting to increase tension, it's only a matter of time before one of the larger nations were to step in." 

"Konoha's needs to be that." Shikachi hummed, moving pieces carefully across the board below him. "Konoha needs to not only terminate those stray root, but apply a firm pressure to the smaller villages." 

"How do you mean?" Sarutobi questioned. 

"The smaller villages are panicking, not only are they attempting to mend what the war broke, but they are still dealing with the wartime mentality of lashing out at those around them."

"If Konoha steps in, won't we be perceived negatively?" Torifu spoke between bites of a muffin. 

"Perhaps at first, it's of no doubt that us larger villages trample those smaller- who unfortunately become the battle grounds for bloody wars." 

"How will us applying pressure be beneficial then? It almost sounds like you intend to back them into a corner." Kagami questioned, he shifted in his seat uncomfortably. 

"No, no, nothing that extreme." The Nara countered, accompanied by the small _clicks_ of pieces falling into place. "But, if we are there to lend a hand to those who need it, they will not bite that which feeds it." 

The men within the room shared a look with one another, observing the Nara work through their dilemma. 

"Our boon will be Ria, the moment she's deemed field ready we need her to locate root and provide an attack squad to take them out." Hiruzen sighed, leaning back against his chair. 

"Well need to put a rush on her training then." Hiruzen began rifling through the scrolls on his desk. "I was hoping to give her more time to acclimate to the village, I'll have Inohiro send for her tomorrow to begin her training." 

It's not often that a foreign citizen was offered the opportunity to serve for the village to which they moved too, and for Ria's circumstances while she had a better understanding of how the world around her worked.

She still needed to go through the basics taught to every gennin, and for her sanity putting her through the academy just wasn't a very viable choice. Since her strong suit lie within sensing, currently one of the best within the village was Yamanaka Inohiro, and he offered to personally teach the woman what she needed to know. 

"Then it's settled, any questions?" Sarutobi questioned, and before anyone could respond a gentle knock and the flare of chakra associated with his ANBU assistant outside of the room. 

"Enter." 

The ANBU assistant swung open the door, but it was not who entered but the very women they were talking about. Ria, very gingerly cradled a sleeping silver haired boy to her chest, and a bleary eyed Gai situated on her back. 

"Please pardon the intrusion." She said softly, aware of the tiny face nestled against her throat. The warmth of her chakra could be felt cocooning the boys to protect them from the cooler evening air. 

"I believe he's yours?" Ria turned partially toward Sakumo, giving him a gentle smile. Sakumo, stiffened his chakra curious, as it flared brushing against his sons checking for anything out of place. 

He could only relax once he truly determined that his son was in fact sleeping, and the wolf within him stirred into awareness as he watched the women with his pup. 

Sakumo didn't quite know how to react, he didn't feel the need to bare his teeth in warning, or immediately take his son from her grasp. Tilting his head curiously as he processed the scene before him the Hatake within him enjoyed seeing her arms full with his pup. 

_He enjoyed the thought of this women holding his pups, she would look even better round and heavy with his pup._

Pardon me, intrusive thoughts said _what?_

Quickly, he sent bursts of chakra through his body to bring himself into awareness, he violently pushed those very thoughts from his mind. 

"A-ah, he is." Striding forward he extracted his son from her. 

"Ria-chan are you collecting little one's now?" Sarutobi's eyes glittered with mirth, and Ria gave a shy laugh. 

"Little one's are pleasant company to keep." She peered over her shoulder at the black haired boy who had fallen asleep against her back, with his arms haphazardly wrapped around her neck. 

"I hear tales of your adventures within the village." Sarutobi's eyes lingered on the navy, cloudy, and gray beads hanging from silver hair. Hiruzens words caused Ria to flush, a pale pink dusting her cheeks. 

"Uwah! Are those Uchiha beads?" Kagami's peepers glowed a brilliant red, as he studied them beads from his spot across the room. 

"H-hai! They are, I'm sorry I didn't catch her name, but the Obaachan running the stand praised the Uchiha glasswork." Ria shifted the boy higher onto her back, "Ano, I'd be delighted to chat further, but I think I should get Gai-chan home. Could someone point me in the direction…?" 

Sarutobi waved his hand in understanding, also subtly signaling an ANBU. Bear dropped from the perch appearing beside the women. 

"Please escort Ria-chan to the Might compound." The masked figure wasted no time leaping from the room to bound across rooftops. 

"Thank Hokage-sama, do you mind if…?" Ria gestured toward the window. 

"How kind of you to ask, no one else has the decency too. By all means." Heavy smoke wafted around the room as he spoke. 

"Goodnight, Hokage-sama, Advisors, Commander." Sage eyes lingered on the silver haired boy, then the man holding him. Offering Sakumo an apprehensive smile, she leapt from the building to catch up with her escort. 

"Oh, I suppose that would have been a good time to mention the training starting tomorrow." Sarutobi gave a halfhearted shrug of his shoulders, laying his pipe down on his desk. 

"Torifu?" The robust man turned toward his shadowy teammate, with a raised brow and mouth full of cookie. "Did you tell Ria I was the Jōnin Commander?" 

"No? I thought you did." Shikachi didn't say anything, but the thoughtful hum he gave was significant enough for those to know that he in fact did not tell her he was. 

"Huh." Kagami said eloquently, turning toward his fellow advisor. His eyebrows wiggled, and a smirk speared his face. "So, you wanna talk about what that was?" 

Immediately, Sakumo's mood soured and he itched to throw his saber at the Uchiha. Kagami was lucky he was holding Kakashi, he settled with glaring at the man in exasperation. 

"It was nothing, I'll see you all tomorrow." Sakumo didn't wait for them to respond before he took his leave. 

Why had that thought randomly popped into his head? After Kaede, the world lost a little bit of its shine and he felt no desire to 'get back out and start dating again.' Despite the previous advisor's desire for him to do so. 

He was firmly within the realm of, having lost his other half, and content to wait until he met her again one day. 

While he yearned to be with his late wife again, he also missed the warmth of another and life that it brought to his home. To have the Hatake genes within him so boldly voice its approval stirred something within him, for the first time in years it was _interest_. 

Kakashi was a prodigy in every sense of the word. By no means was he an overly affection boy either, he was strong willed and independent and desired to do everything on his own. So to see him allow a potential _stranger_ to hold him so closely? 

Perhaps, he wasn't the only Hatake that approved of Ria. Sakumo's chest gave a rumble like purr, that his own pup began to unconsciously reciprocate. 

Faintly, whined rustled within neighboring trees. It created a soft howling, and his eyes slid shut at the familiar sound and he had to bite back the urge to reply. 

Sometimes the Hatake were a bit too close to their summon lines, and animalistic instinct was stronger in some. 

But the howl itself had tingled something within the back of his mind, and for some reason it felt like _she_ was voicing her acceptance too. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse any bad editing, and and weird POV's I'm working on making them more fluid!
> 
> I'd just like to say that I'm a sucker for A/B/O tropes, and Sakumo is definitely portrayed as full bloodied Hatake Alpha. No there will not be run or knots- we're not getting that deep into it just more animalistic desire. 
> 
> Like I said, this is going to be pretty self indulgent here okay? We out here potentially repopulating a clan, things are gonna happen and if you're not into that we'll this story might not be for you. 
> 
> I don't know if there's going to be explicit content yet, but I'm a super pervert and I cannot guarantee any innocent content.


End file.
